Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I remember talking with a programmer one time about a simple web app I had created with my limited, self-taught knowledge. "Not bad," he said, "But all your logic is in the application layer." I nodded as if I knew what the heck he was talking about. Why should I care? It worked.

What I didn't know then was that back in 1977, some geeks, perhaps even bigger geeks than this guy who droned on about my application layer, got together and defined not one, not two, but seven layers to a computer network. Today, the work of this group, the Open System Interconnection (OSI) initiative, is the standard for network architect. The OSI Seven Layer Model describes, you guessed it, seven layers that any network must have: Application, Presentation, Session, Transport, Network, Data-Link, and Physical Layers.

So, what is layer 2? Layer 2 refers to the Data-Link layer. This is the layer of the network where data is transferred across the "Physical Layer"--cables, airwaves, routers, and LAN cards--from node to node in a Wide Area Network (WAN). So what, you might ask. I can send data from my computer to my sister's computer via email. What's the difference?

The difference is that, as you'll notice, the layer above Layer 2 is the Network itself. And, a subset of that network is something we all know and love: the Internet. WAN transmissions that remain on layer 2 never go to the internet. That email you sent your sister, however, did (provided you're not also office-mates with an Exchange server). If your data was a letter, Layer 2 describes your inter-office mail--no stamp, no postal worker, and it never leaves the building.

Finally, why do I care? Wireless broadband may seem like old hat to many of us. With a smart phone, tethering, and hot spots all over the city, we might not think twice about what layer our laptop is on when surfing the web on a layover at the airport. But what if instead of your laptop, it was a retail store's server... and instead of surfing the web, it was sending daily transaction reports or even credit card data for payment processing. Still think the layer is irrelevant? A layer 2 network means that cardholder data never hits the internet (a big no-no for PCI Compliance).

Accel Networks fixed wireless broadband services deliver broadband connection to your remote locations, not just for internet browsing, but for Layer 2 network purposes such as point-of-sale and other sensitive company data. Proving once again, "this ain't your average air card."

Labels: "Internet infrastructure", Fixed Wireless Broadband, Layer 2, OSI, PCI Compliance, PCI Compliant Broadband, PCI-DSS, WAN

posted by Unknown at 5:12 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Monday, September 21, 2009
In a recent article from Telephony Online: Fixed wireless broadband solutions: Five quick wins for the downturn, writer Rich Karpinski built on a strong point that what we all need in a down economy is quick sales. Look for opportunities with short sales cycles, he advises, to shore up the short term numbers.

Not bad advice. Not bad at all. But Rich then goes on to cite five areas where he believes that fixed wireless broadband providers can find surprisingly short wins. Here's where the content gets shaky. First, three of the five suggestions entail video streaming over wireless broadband. Not to knock our own product, but the bandwidth demands of video streaming, particularly to meet the real-time requirements of the security applications he suggests, may leave prospective buyers uncertain about wireless. Can it do it? Sure can! Can it be a quick sale? With doubts and preconceived notions looming, not sure.

Second, four of the five suggestions entail selling into some form of state, federal, or local government. I don't know about you, but I've never thought of government sales and quick sales in the same sentence before. Government procurement is one of the slowest known to man.

So, where should the wireless industry turn for the quick sell?

1. Stick with commercial. Non-profit and government sales are rarely quick. And, the resources that often go into a government sale might mean lower profit margins in the end.
2. So, where do we find profitable commercial customers with money to spend? C-Stores. Convenience Stores have flourished in the down economy.
3. Not only that, but c-stores also have another key attribute: the need for quick-launch solutions. So, where else do we find that demand? Construction sites. Incubator Office Space. Just to name a few.

Labels: Convenience Stores, Economy, Fixed Wireless Broadband

posted by Unknown at 10:13 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It would seem that the social-media savvy of our commander and chief is beginning to trickle down the government bureaucracies. Last week, the FCC jumped into social media with both feet as they seek to engage the public on issues regarding the nation's broadband coverage. And, this is no sterile so-called blog hosted on a government server. I half expected to see nothing more than a news feed with comments disabled, but instead found a web 2.0 blog design with comments enabled.

It gets even better. Broadband.Gov is turning, just as web 2.0 demands, to 3rd party social media venues as well. Their public feedback mechanism is powered by IdeaScale and allows the populus to vote and comment on what we feel should be the top priorities of any federal broadband plan. Go ahead, weigh in on the FCC's broadband plan... you can even add your own topics ad-hoc!

And, of course, no social media reach would be complete without a presence on Twitter and Facebook. The FCC has managed to secure a 3-character twitter user name "FCC"--which certainly required some cooperation from Biz Stone and the crew. Likewise, the FCC's Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/FCC.

So, what is all this buzz about. Well, to learn more about the Broadband Plan, I would direct you to (where else) the social-media video site, YouTube, where the FCC's own YouTube channel has been created.

In all seriousness, however, I want to first of all applaud the FCC for such a monumental step. To see a bureau of the Federal Government moving so enthusiastically into the realm of social media is a much greater advancement than many might realize. Second, I want to encourage readers to take this opportunity. Our leaders are reaching out. They're listening. So, be heard.

Labels: Broadband Plan, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Social Media, Stimulus

posted by Unknown at 5:12 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asked for input last month on what actually should constitute "broadband" connection speeds. The government sets a standard for what is technically considered broadband and what is not. The motivation, at least originally, was simply that we could not allow dubious tech companies to slap a road-runner emblem on a 56K modem and try to advertise it as broadband.

But the current definition was recently opened to debate by the FCC, eliciting a range of responses from those affected by any modifications. A public interest group called Free Press, urged the FCC to dramatically ramp up requirements to 5 mbps for both upstream and downstream. For a sense of perspective, that would be over 8x the current definition for downstream speed, and 25x the current upstream speed. But companies directly affected by any decision, such as Verizon Communications Inc., urged the FCC to be more conservative.

Appeals to the FCC cited competing nations' who have set the bar for broadband far higher than the U.S. However, it's important to note that the nations cited in Reuters report (France and Japan) are in fact 1/18th 1/26th the size of the U.S. respectively. The challenge of Rural Broadband presents a uniquely different landscape for technology and business in the U.S. than in most other nations on the globe.

Where do you think the bar for broadband should be set? If higher, how shall we ever get there? If the same, what will motivate carriers to improve?

Labels: Broadband, Broadband Speed, FCC, Rural Broadband, Verizon

posted by Unknown at 9:31 AM Link to this Article  2 Comments

Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Texas is a massive state. Second in size only to Alaska, Texas is over a quarter million square miles. And, while it's also second in population in the U.S. with over 24 million people in the great state, 75% of its population reside in the 60,000 square-mile region of booming metropolises like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio that dot Texas' Eastern portion.

What remains outside of these large cities and towns reaching inward from the Gulf Coast is an expanse that many simply call "West Texas"--as if it were a small sliver of the larger state. In reality, West Texas spans 3x the square mileage of East Texas and is dotted with nearly 2300 rural settlements, called Colonias, characterized by poverty and lack of basic infrastructure.

In the 630-mile drive along Interstate 20 from Dallas to Juarez, you can expect to see no more than one city along the way that boasts more than 100,000 in population. A handful of others dot the trail with a few thousand souls. But for the most part, a whole lot of small towns.

So, if you're ever so inclined to make this drive, think of two things: first, that your A/C is fully charged! Second, when you want to swipe your card at the gas pump... how does anybody get broadband out here? Or, when the officer stops to help you with a flat tire, does he even have email back at his station? How many stores, companies, and even government agencies in this remote part of our country go without the high-speed connectivity many of us take for granted?

The Texas DIR recently tapped into Accel Networks' unique fixed wireless broadband service to provide at least one solution to this problem. Via partner RealCom Solutions, state and local government agencies have special discounted prices for what could be the only broadband solution viable in many areas. More than that, however, commercial applications rely on Accel everyday, too. Point-of-sale, convenience store registers, ATM's, pay at the pump, and just about any retail that requires cardholder data transfer needs not only broadband, but PCI-compliant broadband.

Everything is bigger in Texas, and when it comes to spanning hundreds of miles with a data network with consistent througput and broadband speeds, Texas' size is not always in its favor. Accel Networks is glad to help.

Labels: Convenience Stores, Fixed Wireless Broadband, PCI Compliance, PCI Compliant Broadband, PCI-DSS, Rural Broadband Access, Texas DIR

posted by Unknown at 6:15 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments