Often, the technology supporting a particular infrastructure can become so mature that it becomes virtually entrenched. While this may be especially true for services such as water, electricity, and transportation, where the investment in physical materials and installation costs can be quite high, it is not so much the case with communications, especially wireless communications.

Some wireless communications system architectures, such as those supporting municipal radios or cellular phones, are mature and widely deployed. However, the fundamental characteristic of wireless communications is the absence of wires, and many different solutions provide wireless capabilities. One capability that has almost become a necessity in modern culture is wireless voice communications, which is currently provided with cellular technology or similar alternatives, such as PCS or GSM. However, Transcon Mobile envisions providing this same service by leveraging the technologies of Wi-Fi and VoIP.

According to Avi Shani, chairman of Trans Con Mobile, its wireless service project, “Yphone—cellular-like VoIP,” will differ from conventional cellular service not only in its radio technology, but also in its fundamental business plan. This is because Trans Con Mobile plans to deploy and operate Wi-Fi base stations for this service, while at the same time providing the proprietary wireless handsets for use on the new network.

The base stations, which would be mounted on building rooftops or existing towers, will operate at 2.4 GHz. Each base station interfaces to a special antenna and will only cost about 10% to 15% of the cost of a conventional cellular base station. The coverage radius of the new base station is approximately 1.5 miles in open area, vs. the typical three miles for GSM or PCS.

Shani stated that it is important to understand that two main parameters affect the number of cell sites or base stations in any cellular network. One parameter is the range of the coverage, and the other is the capacity of each base station. Based on these two parameters, Trans Con will have to deploy 20% to 30% more of its base stations in comparison to the number sites required for traditional cellular operators, such as GSM, to achieve similar performance in urban areas. However, the spectrum for the 2.4 GHz WiFi band is license-free. By combining this advantage with lower equipment costs, Trans Con Mobile is hoping to provide a voice communications capability that is cost-competitive with that of established wireless service providers.

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