Obama speaks to Northern Michigan University about National Wireless Initiative (Source: White House)

In his January state of the union address President Obama said that “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.” He was explaining that our country is losing the international battle on the innovation front. But just like America landed on the moon and surpassed the Soviets, who were first to launch a satellite into space in 1957, Obama is hoping that this country will again propel forward by leaps and bounds by taking winning steps towards wireless innovation.

The president made the first of many leaps last Thursday when he spoke at the Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan where he announced details of the Whitehouse’s plans to expand wireless coverage to 98% of Americans with access to 4G high-speed wireless.

According to the president, 90% of homes in South Korea subscribe to high-speed broadband (defined by the Federal Communications Commission as a minimum download speed of 4 megabits per second and upload speeds of 1 mbps), yet only 65 percent of households here in America, where the internet was created, can say the same. This is the case because our broadband infrastructure has fallen behind as wireless providers do not expand into rural areas unless it is profitable for them. Upgrading will require freeing up space on the broadband spectrum, which is currently too constrained for future innovation.

“We’re going to have to out-hustle the rest of the world,” he said. “That means investing in cutting-edge research and technology…this is a new century, and we can’t expect tomorrow’s economy to take root using yesterday’s infrastructure.”

The National Wireless Initiative plan will catalyze private investments into the system by auctioning off the pieces of the government and commercial spectrum and free up 500 Megahertz of the airwaves. The White House claims that doing this will double the wireless spectrum and will reduce the deficit by $9.6 billion.

The plan will also create a $3 billion Wireless Innovation Fund to spur research and development of emerging wireless technologies and applications. In addition, Obama committed $10.7 billion toward developing a nationwide, interoperable wireless network for public safety.

As a result, the new network will help police officers access crime databases in their cars, allow firefighters to download blueprints on the way to a burning building, and let public works officials monitor pumps and equipment remotely thereby saving money in the long run.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has already taken steps to make good on that commitment. The agency has identified 115 MHz of federal spectrum that can be freed up as part of a “fast track” process for exclusive or shared use. They’ve also selected another 95 MHz of valuable spectrum for immediate evaluation, and has a plan in place to evaluate other federal spectrum bands that can be used more efficiently.

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Making the Best of Your Wireless Options

Tempted by everything from wireless network cards to routers to laptops with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, companies can easily shell out thousands of dollars in their attempt to operate a business without wires. Figuring out how to make the best investment isn’t always easy, nor is determining the value of the money and time investment that must be made to get a wireless setup in gear.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to gain access to the Web and e-mail from just about anywhere. For starters, many companies use BlackBerrys and  other smart phones that offer a variety of services, from basic phone to e-mail and Internet to calendars and address books, essentially serving as an “office away from the office” for owners, managers, and employees who spend much of their time on the road.

With costs that range from $200 to more than $600, depending on the model and type of service contract purchased, smart phones are available with data packages that cost $60 to $100 per month (including phone and text services). “If all you need is e-mail on the go, then smart phones are a great option,” says Shawn Welsh, vice president of marketing and business development for Telular, a fixed cellular terminal developer with offices in Atlanta and Chicago.

But what happens when you’re miles from the office and in need of a way to connect back to your company’s network? Or when you need to edit a PDF file and send it to your marketing department within 10 minutes? That’s where Wi-Fi-enabled laptops come in particularly useful. With a PC card (they range in price from $50 to $150) that’s either installed in the laptop or inserted into an expansion slot, users can get connected by dropping into a Starbucks or other establishment that offers public Wi-Fi. Some of the services are free, but others command a per-hour, per-day, or subscription-based fee.

For those of you who need regular access to mobile Wi-Fi –- and who don’t want to run around trying to find public access to such services –- the major cellular phone carriers such as Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T offer access to the Internet and e-mail from all service areas. They charge $60 for the monthly subscription fee, which covers 5 MB of data (roughly the equivalent of 1.7 million e-mails or 10,000 photos, according to Sprint’s mobile Internet Website). Most carriers also charge activation fees that average $35.

When you sign up for service from a major carrier, a new cellphone number is assigned that’s separate from a voice plan. Using it is as simple as plugging the card into the laptop expansion slot (or using the one already installed in your computer). Most wireless card providers also offer a service through which customers can use their cell phones as a wireless modem, thus eradicating the need for a PC card. “Using a PC card and Wi-Fi is a good option because it allows business owners to connect and use typical office software while on the road,” Welsh says .

Another option for business owners that set up “temporary offices” away from their headquarters is the fixed cellular terminal. Ranging in cost from $500 to $700, the terminal connects to a land phone line and allows multiple users to share one connection and a single voice/data bill every month. While the upfront costs are higher than you would pay for a PC card, the benefits of fixed terminals include lower monthly service bills and accessibility for multiple users.

When selecting which mobile Internet option is best for your company, consider the level of mobility required and the number of accounts that need to be enabled. “If you’re going to be highly mobile, but if all you need is e-mail, then a BlackBerry or iPhone will be perfect,” says Welsh. “But if you need more connectivity and access from remote locations, then a PC card and mobile Wi-Fi service will be your best bet.”

Web Resource:

Wireless Internet Service Providers