The Cellar - View Single Post - Wi-Fi, WEP, WAPI, and world markets

tw · 01-07-2004, 01:51 AM

Wi-Fi is a neat idea without killer application. Currently it has been advocated as a solution to rural (mud hut) computing, using a laptop in a coffe house or hamburger joint, homes of smart appliances, or a means of getting internet access in areas of downtime such as airports. However it really has not taken off.

Based upon standards of the 802.11 standards committee using encryption such as WEP. Now the Chinese have thrown a monkey wrench into the growth wheels. China, one of the largest potential markets depending on who's market projections you read, has decided to ban Wi-Fi. Not to stifle the technology. China has declared WAPI as the standard. WAPI has serious technologoical advantages such as public key encryption, better security, etc. China has declared WAPI and not Wi-Fi as the wireless standard in China. Considering that most Wi-Fi products will be assembled in China, this is a serious problem.

But then China has taken a step farther. Only the 11 Chinese manufacturers have access to complete WAPI specs. Intel is said to have obtained a copy. But officially, the world will not see the WAPI spec until after the Chinese have forced their better standard upon the world.

Needless to say, 802.11 is furious. They are being made irrelevant by a China that is only doing what the US once would do with technology - force a standard upon the world. Moreso, this threatens to increase Wi-Fi prices much like the US has done with HDTV by forcing an inferior standard incompatible with the rest of the world.

What makes this interesting is that China has repeatedly trying to force their standards on the world using their potential market size and growing manufacturing base as leverage. They did same with CDMA - Qualcomm now suing for patent infringement. Using intellectual property rights to manipulate world markets iis a whole new wrinkle in how world markets operate - especially since more of what the US consumes is dependent on Chinese factories.

01-07-2004, 01:51 AM	#1
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Wi-Fi, WEP, WAPI, and world markets Wi-Fi is a neat idea without killer application. Currently it has been advocated as a solution to rural (mud hut) computing, using a laptop in a coffe house or hamburger joint, homes of smart appliances, or a means of getting internet access in areas of downtime such as airports. However it really has not taken off. Based upon standards of the 802.11 standards committee using encryption such as WEP. Now the Chinese have thrown a monkey wrench into the growth wheels. China, one of the largest potential markets depending on who's market projections you read, has decided to ban Wi-Fi. Not to stifle the technology. China has declared WAPI as the standard. WAPI has serious technologoical advantages such as public key encryption, better security, etc. China has declared WAPI and not Wi-Fi as the wireless standard in China. Considering that most Wi-Fi products will be assembled in China, this is a serious problem. But then China has taken a step farther. Only the 11 Chinese manufacturers have access to complete WAPI specs. Intel is said to have obtained a copy. But officially, the world will not see the WAPI spec until after the Chinese have forced their better standard upon the world. Needless to say, 802.11 is furious. They are being made irrelevant by a China that is only doing what the US once would do with technology - force a standard upon the world. Moreso, this threatens to increase Wi-Fi prices much like the US has done with HDTV by forcing an inferior standard incompatible with the rest of the world. What makes this interesting is that China has repeatedly trying to force their standards on the world using their potential market size and growing manufacturing base as leverage. They did same with CDMA - Qualcomm now suing for patent infringement. Using intellectual property rights to manipulate world markets iis a whole new wrinkle in how world markets operate - especially since more of what the US consumes is dependent on Chinese factories.