[转帖]3G and Wi-Fi: Will they Ever Get Together?

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One has distance, the other has speed. Together, they could make a pretty sweet pair.

Given the relative strengths of third-generation (3G) wireless networks and 802.11-based wireless LANs, some analysts, Wi-Fi operators and even big wireless carriers say it makes sense for the two technologies to come together in some fashion. Products are already being announced and it appears likely that the market will see 3G-to-Wi-Fi roaming agreements soon, perhaps within the next one to two years.

"We are aggressively in agreement that 2.5- and 3G wide area services, and 802.11 local area services, are a perfect compliment to each other," said Dan Lowden, vice president of marketing at WayPort. One of the largest 802.11 service operators in the nation, Wayport has hotspots in 475 hotels and 10 airports. If those hotspots could seamlessly interconnect to 3G networks, he said, "it creates an opportunity to really provide a complete and comprehensive data service to customers."

At Sprint PCS, spokeswoman Jennifer Walsh voices a similar stance: "We definitely view Wi-Fi as complimentary to our PCS Vision service." Sprint PCS has no specific plans in place for a 3G-to-Wi-Fi products at this point, she said, but the concept is under active development. "Any service that creates the larger demand for wireless coverage, we see as a positive thing."