August 2009 -- The wireless local area network (WLAN) is today a ubiquitous device often taken for granted
as a default interface for networked devices by users and manufacturers alike. But not very
long ago, it was most definitely not so. Rewind the clock ten years back to 1998 and not only
are there bitter technical and business consortia differences on WLAN approaches, but
there is extreme skepticism and variation in opinion as to how, or even if, WLANs can ever
become a mainstream network interface. The WLAN of that day appeared to lack both the
throughput of the wired local area network (such as 10/100 Ethernet LAN) and the coverage
of the cellular network (which was supposed to be ‘‘imminently’’ upgrading to Mb/s data
performance). The WLAN to that point had largely evolved as a slow and unreliable
emulation of the wired LAN, only without the wire. And as such the products and standards
largely envisioned the end application for WLAN as a replacement for wired LAN in
enterprise or campus environments where mobile users would roam with their networked
personal computers (PCs).
In the early 1990s WLANs found almost no success in selling to enterprise or campus
environments as wired LAN replacements or enablers of mobility. The WLAN products of that
day were far too slow, too expensive, too bulky, and too power hungry. Furthermore, mobile
network connectivity was simply not yet a killer application. The ‘‘survivor’’ companies of that
age were the ones who focused on adapting WLAN technology to specialty niches such as
retailing, hospitality, and logistics. Organizations that went after the ‘‘big’’ market of
enterprise networking, and there were many that did, either went bankrupt or became largely
scaled back divisions of large companies.
Citation
"History of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) in the Unlicensed Bands" by Kevin Negus & Al Petrick, 5 INFO 35-56 (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
Related Scholarship
"Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference: Guest Editorial" by Charles L. Jackson, 5 INFO (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
"Unlicensed to Kill: A Brief History of the FCC Part 15 Rules" by Kenneth R. Carter, 5 INFO 8-18 (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
"Mark Fowler's Introduction of Mike Marcus" by Mark S. Fowler (April 2008), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
"Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: The Path from Carter and Reagan-era Faith
in Deregulation to Widespread Products Impacting Our World" by Michael J. Marcus, 5 INFO 19-35 (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
"Unlicensed: The Case of Wi-Fi" by Ing Victor Hayes & Ir. Wolter Lemstra, 5 INFO 57-71 (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
"Grazing on the Commons: The Emergence of Part 15" by Henry Goldberg, 5 INFO 72-75 (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
"Has "Unlicensed" in Part 15 Worked? A Case Study" by Tim Pozar, 5 INFO 86-91 (August 2009), Quick Links: Unlicensed Wireless Policy Conference
