Dave’s Thoughts – Embracing Disruption – Seeing Beyond the Needs of the Day
Embracing Change: The Driver of Innovation
Change is often disconcerting. Major disruptions can be downright intimidating. However, history has proven time and again that by challenging the status quo, we drive progress. When it comes to technology disruptions, they may seem to come out of nowhere, but they are always built on the foundations laid by those before.
The Last Great Disruption: The Rise of WLAN
Looking at indoor wireless, the last significant disruption—one that truly reshaped the digital landscape—was the introduction of the WLAN in the early 1990s. At that time, office networks relied entirely on Ethernet cables and coaxial “Token Ring” networks. Every computer had to be physically tethered to a network, and this was simply accepted as the norm.
Then came 802.11b. This wireless standard transformed how devices connected, liberating computers from their physical constraints. Today, finding a laptop with a built-in Ethernet port is a rarity. Wireless connectivity has extended far beyond computers, powering IoT devices, cameras, and more. The explosion of connectivity based on the 802.11 standards has been nothing short of amazing.
At its inception, few could have predicted the full impact of WLAN technology. Whether or not the pioneers behind 802.11 envisioned the full scope of its potential, they saw a future beyond the limitations of their time.
The Next Wireless Revolution: Rethinking Indoor Connectivity
Now, three decades later, we stand on the precipice of another revolution in indoor wireless—one that could be just as transformative as the original WLAN breakthrough. This next wave of disruption has been born out of a vision that extends beyond the needs of today.
Currently, indoor wireless is all about connectivity—providing access. But what lies beyond? The next frontier is expanding indoor wireless beyond its current use as just an access technology and integrating it into areas that have traditionally been dominated by wired connections. Specifically, this means revolutionizing the backbone of indoor networks—an area historically reserved for CATx cabling.
The Challenge of a Wireless Indoor Backbone
Wireless backbone solutions have existed in WAN networks for decades. Companies like Digital Microwave and Farinon/Harris pioneered point-to-point wireless backhaul links, primarily for connecting cell towers. However, no one has successfully implemented a wireless backbone for indoor enterprise environments.
The reasons are myriad – but it all boils down to “it’s really hard.”
An effective indoor wireless backbone must overcome multiple hurdles:
- It must function in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions, penetrating walls and maneuvering around corners.
- It must support speeds of Gbps or higher.
- It must avoid interference with existing and future WiFi access points.
- It must be simple to deploy.
- It must be secure.
- It must seamlessly integrate with wired networks, appearing as just another Ethernet backbone.
The Impact of a Wireless Ethernet Backbone
If these challenges can be addressed, the benefits will be substantial. A wireless Ethernet backbone offers a more flexible, easier, and faster-to-deploy alternative to traditional wired infrastructure. This level of disruption has the potential to redefine indoor networking, ushering in a new era of enterprise connectivity.
The idea of a wireless backbone for indoor environments is more than just an evolution—it is a revolution. It is the kind of innovation that comes from looking beyond the immediate needs of today and envisioning a future that challenges the limits of what is possible. Just as WLAN transformed connectivity in the 1990s, a wireless
Ethernet backbone could reshape enterprise networking for the decades to come.
