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How Does Wireless Internet Work?

Wireless Internet and mobile Internet operate on the principles set forth by radio telecommunications. In essence it uses radio signals to transmit data to towers, either similar or the same, as cellular phones to access the Internet, but it is a bit more complicated. First, wireless Internet is far more reliable than cabled connections as the provider has less cost in establishing the network which means less cost for the end user. In addition, with no cables, there are fewer instances of failures and less of a need for maintenance and repairs as there is less hardware.

WiMax is the protocol used for wireless Internet services and is based on the IEEE 802.16 communications standard which delivers fast broadband speeds for Internet users. Wireless Internet, although similar, is very different from cellular services. Cellular phones can use the GPRS standard to allow data and voice transmissions on the same unit but it is not WiMax. WiMax applies only to Internet access and service. The WiMax network and technology uses towers to transmit the data to subscribers, similar to cell phones, in certain areas. Each subscriber, whether using a PDA, laptop or PC, has a receiving unit usually in the form of a USB or PCI/PCI-e card. The user pays for a connection much the same way as with cabled connections and is provided with Internet service according to the geographic areas of their service plan and provider.

One company to look for is MobilityPass; they offer wireless Internet in over 160 countries with no contracts to be signed. Internet access is paid for as it is used. Not to mention they offer security, confidentiality and privacy on all of their plans. From the base station, or tower, the Internet signal is transmitted in a wide area and received by the device which needs to be in the line of sight to have access. In large urban areas or crowded cities there may be far more towers to supply the signals to the users. Just like with FM radio waves buildings and large objects can block or weaken the signal. As the mobile device, laptop or PDA, moves from coverage area to coverage area, the signal transmission will change to the closest tower with no interruption of service, still using the same ISP.

The Internet data is attached to a radio wave in the form of a harmonic; basically it is an additional wave of data that is added to the structure of the radio wave. This wave is broken down by the receiver and is split into its separate parts. This is especially useful for networks using the same transmitter for WiMax and for cellular phones. After reading the data and splitting the information the signals are sent back, encoded, then interpreted by the tower and sent to the Internet for the requests being made. This happens thousands of times a second ensuring the use of the Internet regardless of where the end user is located.