[maemo-users] Sprint's N800 with WiMAX

Fri Aug 10 03:09:25 EEST 2007

Mike,

here are some comments and observations about Verizon Wireless EVDO 
usage policy and its (and ATT's) new Mobile TV service which provides an 
alternate means for delivering broadcast (but not on demand) network 
content to a mobile device.

    1.I don't think that Verizon, at least, is filtering its EVDO packet
    traffic explicitly based on the protocol or TCP/UDP port #. Verizon
    Wireless has settled on an Acceptable Use Policy for its EVDO
    broadband service that imposes a 5gb/month threshold limit, above
    which the contract is deemed eligible for cancellation/termination
    by Verizon Wireless.  

    In my opinion, it would be better for Verizon Wireless to impose a
    surcharge for such excess usage than to cancel the users contract.

    2. Here is the url to a www page at the EVDO info www site that
    refers to that limit imposed by Verizon Wireless and provides a
    table of how much "content", on average, a user could receive and
    still remain within that 5gb monthly envelope.

        http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/846/63/

    VOIP, for example,  is a relatively narrowband application so,
    unless you were using VOIP all day/all the time via, say Skype or
    some other service, you would not be likely to hit the
    aforementioned 5 gb limit because of that application alone, or, for
    that matter, streaming audio either. Video is the "killer app" in
    this case which, if used will "kill" the user's service contract
    with Verizon Wireless.

    3. The setting of a monthly usage cap is probably the least-costly
    way for Verizon Wireless to police usage since they can, if they so
    choose, only perform the usage check at the end of the month, which
    is a lot easier for them to implement than a real-time packet by
    packet rate limit check.

    4. Earlier this year I attended an event sponsored by the (US)
    Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee on the future of
    the Internet. This event was attended by all of the major interested
    parties (wireless and wired telcos, Google, Microsoft, etc.) and I
    spoke to one of the Verizon Wireless marketing execs about their 
    EVDO broadband service, and  their usage limitation policy. He
    followed the "party line" in responding to the effect that Verizon
    Wireless imposes the 5gb rule to "....assure the quality of their
    overall EVDO service".

    5. More recently I met an individual at Google in the Washington
     D.C. area who is part of the recently formed Google lobbying
    organization. This is the group that made the case to the FCC (with
    partial success) to make sure that the upcoming auction in the us of
    the upper 700 mhz band allows open access. I briefly demoed the N800
    tethered via Bluetooth to a handset that was on-net with the Verizon
    EVDO service.

    5. Verizon Wireless as well as ATT is launching a live (QVGA
    quality) broadcast video service using 700mhz channel acquired by
    Qualcomm. Qualcomm converted the channel to digital using a patented
    (its Qualcomm of course) OFDM derivative technology marketed by
    Qualcomm as MediaFlo^1,2,3,4,5 Mediaflow capable handsets^6 (Samsung
    SCH-u620 and the LG VX9400) are already on the market and Verizon
    has started rolling this service out in selected markets in the U.S.
    under the service name VCAST Mobile TV^7 .

    Verizon Wireless, and now ATT  thus each have a built incentive to 
    limit the range of capabilities of their broadband data service
    (EVDO in the case of Verizon wireless and HSDPA in the case of ATT) 
    when it comes to video so that users will have an incentive  to
    instead purchase the  Mobile TV service. Of course with Mediaflo,
    the user is limited to the channels (8 currently but with capacity
    for up to 20 channels) and content that is being broadcast  by the
    networks at each point in time and, as far as I know, there is not
    yet any DVR capability in the aforementioned handsets for
    time-shifting content playback.

     It remains to be seen whether or not mobile TV service will be
    successful in the U.S. or elsewhere (I think it will be) and which
    technology, Mediaflo or DVB-H (backed by the EU) will win out.

    1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaFLO
    2. http://www.qualcomm.com/mediaflo/index.shtml

    3. http://www.qualcomm.com/mediaflo/news/pdf/network_diagram.pdf
    4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Mobility
    5. http://www.wirelessweek.com/article.aspx?id=136850
    6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi53R2CDIgg
    7. http://products.vzw.com/index.aspx?id=mobileTV#grid

Best Regards,

John Holmblad

Acadia Secure Networks

Mike Klein wrote:
> For use other than simple voice (gsm, 3g) a cellular chip would present
> some REAL political obstacles in US of course.
>
> Most US carriers (except Sprint) terms of service (tos) forbid anything
> other than straight html and pop/imap with ssl all around. Any
> streaming, voip, etc. (sigh) constitutes a violation and your contract
> can be terminated along with you paying fees. Most carriers
> intentionally cripple the hardware (face camera removal on Hermes for
> ATT) or firmware (bt dun removal).
>
> They are very afraid of a web experience they don't control...in part
> because networks aren't where rest of world's are...and also because
> they offer competing 'services' disallowing what you already should be
> able to do on your "unlimited" plan.
>
> Even a business grade account doesn't change tos...your only option for
> privacy is vpn...and this may unnecessarily cripple you...and you're
> still in violation of tos doing this anyways, so...
>
> Maybe gsm could be haggled but full 3g ala evdo or hsdpa may not be
> possible anytime soon. This 'quandary' makes me straddle
> carriers...8525/ATT for most capable phone and ST5111/Sprint data card
> for getting 'work done' while on the road.
>
> I'd love to replace my 8525 with a device I wouldn't have to reboot 5
> times/day. It's quite capable...but 20 clicks to do what s/be a click
> away is getting old.
>
> I like the direction the N800 is going in and finding more uses for it
> all the time. Add an eye-loop on next model though.
>
>
> mike
>
> Quim Gil wrote:
>   
>> Hi,
>>
>> - Go to maemo.org
>> - Introduce "wimax" in the search box.
>>
>> You get by default 3 results under "maemo.org documentation". But this
>> is not what you are asking for. 
>>
>> Change the selection in the dropdown menu to "Mail Archive"
>>
>> - "Results 1 - 10 of about 33 for wimax."
>>
>> Enjoy the reading.  :) 
>>
>> The first public mention I remember was early on January:
>> http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=113890&WT.svl=news1_1
>>  
>>
>> On Wed, 2007-08-08 at 11:22 -0700, ext Gary wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> The article below mentions discussion of Sprint's WiMAX N800 "on the
>>> Maemo mailing list and other places" but I've not seen it here on
>>> 'users.' Has this been discussed already or have I been asleep at the
>>> wheel? Either way it's exciting news for users here in the States.
>>> Perhaps this will encourage some non-US 3G carriers to work with Nokia
>>> as well.
>>>
>>> -Gary
>>>
>>>
>>> "At the LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco this week, /LinuxDevices/
>>> spoke with Dr. Ari Jaaksi, Nokia's director of open source. ... Jaaksi
>>> said the WiMAX-enabled N800 would 'most probably' include WiFi and
>>> Bluetooth as well. He felt that interference problems could be
>>> minimized, noting, 'We had the same interference with Bluetooth and WiFi
>>> initially, but we solved that.' ... He said the new device would likely
>>> get more publicity during the process of FCC approval. However, he
>>> declined to announce any timeframe for when that might happen, in
>>> deference to Sprint. Jaaksi declined to say whose WiMAX chip will go
>>> into the planned device. Noting that the WiMAX specifications continue
>>> to evolve, he said he believed the device would support Mobile WiMAX
>>> initially, with support for additional WiMAX variants to follow. ...
>>> Asked whether Nokia might also consider adding a cellular radio chip to
>>> its Linux-based Internet tablet in the future, Jaaksi replied, 'It's
>>> more a business model than a technology barrier.'"
>>>
>>> http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8069179684.html
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> maemo-users mailing list
>>> maemo-users at maemo.org
>>> https://lists.maemo.org/mailman/listinfo/maemo-users
>>>     
>>>       
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