Europe : Very Often 802.11 is seen as a competitor of 3G data services, however more and more Mobile Network Operators are embracing public 802.11 service as a compliment to their core cellular service. Inset above shows shows the new MAC elements required by the pending 802.11e standard.

This is partly driven by the availability and maturity of 802.11b (Wi-Fi) technology compared to 3G, and the difference in coverage area where 3G provides pervasive coverage at a lower data rate, with 802.11 a much more localised coverage (hotspots) with higher data rates. However, what is more important is the demand from existing customers with Wi-Fi equipped devices who wish to use broadband wireless data service now rather than waiting for 3G to arrive.

802.11b (Wi-Fi) is the most prevalent wireless LAN technology today, but it was designed for a private or corporate LAN, and support for public deployment is rather lacking. There are many improvements to Wi-Fi which will make Public Hotspots a bigger success. As well as higher data rates provide by the 802.11a and 802.11g PHY amendments, the 802.11e QoS MAC amendment is particularly important.

802.11e is crucial to enable Mobile Network Operators to offer differentiated tiers of services, e.g. Gold, Silver and Bronze. 802.11e EDCA enables the Mobile Network Operator to guarantee Gold customers a higher QoS compared to Silver customers, and Silver customers to Bronze customers. 802.11e HCCA enables the Mobile Network Operator to offer high value services such as video / audio streaming and interactive mobile gaming. In short, with the right pricing strategy and infrastructure, 802.11 with QoS enhancements offer the Mobile Network Operator and its customers something that no current technology is able to offer.

For more information on implementing QoS for 802.11, Silicon & Software
Systems (S3) have published a White Paper "Understanding MAC protocol
architectural implications of 802.11 QoS amendments: A guide to IEEE 802.11e technology" - which is available for download from
http://www.s3group.com/wireless_systems/wlan_qos/