WLL
Definition
Sometimes called radio in the
loop (RITL) or fixed-radio access (FRA), WLL is a system that
connects subscribers to the public switched telephone network
(PSTN) using radio signals as a substitute for copper for
all or part of the connection between the subscriber and the
switch. This includes cordless access systems, proprietary
fixed radio access, and fixed cellular systems.
Overview
Industry analysts predict that
the global WLL market will reach many million of subscribers
by the year 2002. Much of this growth will occur in emerging
economies where half the world's population lacks plain old
telephone service (POTS). Developing nations like China, India,
Brazil, Russia, and Indonesia look to WLL technology as an
efficient way to deploy POTS for millions of subscribers—without
the expense of burying tons of copper wire.
In developed economies, WLL will
help unlock competition in the local loop, enabling new operators
to bypass existing wireline networks to deliver POTS and data
access. So the question isn't will the local loop go wireless,
but when and where.
1. Introduction
Since the advent of the telephone
system, copper wire has traditionally provided the link in
the local loop between the telephone subscriber and the local
exchange. But copper's heyday in the local loop is coming
to an end. Economic imperatives and emerging technologies
are opening the door for WLL solutions. Sometimes called RITL
or FRA, WLL uses wireless technology coupled with line interfaces
and other circuitry to complete the last mile between the
customer premise and the exchange equipment.
WLL is called "the hot telecom
growth industry of the next decade." According to the
research firm MTA-EMCI, the worldwide WLL market will reach
202 million subscribers by the year 2005. Herschel Shosteck
Associates estimates there will be a demand for WLL service
for 172 million to 307 million subscribers but that actual
service will be provided for 50 million to 60 million subscribers
by the year 2000
In developed economies, wireless
technology's relatively low deployment and maintenance costs
and learning-curve advantages make WLL a competitive bypass
solution and a viable alternative to wireline networks for
POTS and data access. Two issues will determine how quickly
WLL will be deployed in developed markets: cost and bandwidth.
- Today's exorbitant access
rates, coupled with regulatory changes, have created a competitive
environment that gives new operators the incentive to invest
in their own WLL networks. However, WLL deployment costs
(expected to drop to $200 per subscriber installation) must
be balanced with the potential for lower access fees.
- The growing demand for high-bandwidth
transmission capable of supporting rich-data types places
additional requirements on a WLL system. Operators must
evaluate the various technologies based on their ability
to support data rates up to integrated services digital
network (ISDN) speed.
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