All-wireless on the rise [Communications Spectrum Management]

WHO'S READY FOR the all-wireless premises network and the ineluctable demise of Ethernet-to-the-desktop? No more PCs shackled to the desktop by copper cables; no more bulky handsets full of telephony features that no-one ever uses which also remain tethered to their surroundings by pesky tangled wires... It could all be here sooner than we think, thanks to the convergence of mobility, new working expectations - and newer new technology. It's all down to better management of the local spectrum that enable connected devices to connect via wireless networks, in one way or another, and the use of radio frequencies (RF) signalling to perform short-range tasks that back in the day had to be supported by physical connections. Sounds promising - but let's first ask, what's so bad with the traditional desktop Ethernet links that have served us well for decades? Ethernet is surely fast enough for most desktop computing needs, and relatively simple to connect and to troubleshoot when glitches occur.