Wireless Carriers - Which One is Best For Your Business?

Index

1. The Transition from Voice to Data
2. Early Data Systems
3. A New Ballgame
4. Wireless Packet Data Evolution
5. Determining Device and Data Requirements
6. Choosing the Best Data Network

Early Mobile Data Systems

For early adopters of mobile data, such as the Taxi industry or Public Safety Agencies, mobile data was a very expensive proposition, often averaging $2000 to $5000 per vehicle. Implementing such a system involved the installation of costly hardware and often required major improvements to the two-way radio infrastructure that was typically used to carry the data traffic. The whole affair was not for the meek or mild. Ongoing maintenance costs were significant, as these systems were subject to interference, coverage issues and so on...

In spite of the difficulties and expenses, mobile data provided enough of a return on investment that its adoption rate has increased year over year. However, transitioning from voice communications to data communications primarily remained in the realm of large organizations only. While small to medium organizations were interested in the potential benefits, the costs and spectrum were simply out of reach.

It's interesting to note that most of the challenges and much of the costs related to implementing and maintaining a data dispatch system were directly related to the transmission medium. This is because these early systems most often utilized a private analog radio system, which simply was not initially designed to carry data.