One of the challenges facing 3G systems today is changing user expectations regarding broadband. Current data speeds from 2.5G and even most 3G systems do not impress compared to DSL or cable modems. There's Wi-Fi, of course, but what Wi-Fi offers in speed, it lacks in coverage, forcing users to go where the broadband is. Consequently, some in the industry are turning their attention to IP wireless systems - sometimes called "3.5G", "4G" or, cheekily, "real 3G" - from companies like ArrayComm, Flarion Technologies, IP Wireless and Navini Networks, which believe that "real" 3G will come not from mobile voice networks optimized for data, but dedicated all-IP wide-area networks accessible by numerous devices - from desktop modems to laptop PC cards and PDAs. The technological approaches differ, as do the throughput speeds, but the common theme for IP wireless systems tends to be megabit-speeds with software-based migration paths to higher speeds in the future. Another common feature of such platforms is the comparative cost to 3G. In short, they're cheaper in terms of both equipment costs and cost-per-bit.
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