Wireless Data-Service Options Explode

"Is Wi-Fi going to be everywhere? Everywhere where it makes sense, yes," says Dan Lowden, of Wayport. "Customers that we serve are always looking to be best-connected. When they're in a hot spot, they're best-connected to Wi-Fi; when they're not in a hot spot, they're best-connected to a wide-area network." In a few short years, the number of wireless connections to network services is expected to eclipse that of wireline connections. One key enabler is the emergence of new wireless data services intended to provide high-speed access to corporate computing resources for mobile end-users, those at remote sites and even those at primary offices.

"The expectation is that [users] have broadband connectivity wherever they go," says Mark Lowenstein, managing director of wireless consultancy Mobile Ecosystem. The wide-area cellular network will be the default network for data connectivity for travelers, Lowenstein says. Then there will be pockets of more compelling broadband coverage, such as Wi-Fi or WiMax.

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