Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wired News: U.N. Hears from Wireless Experts

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 12:11:16 -0500

http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,56594,00.html

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U.N. Hears from Wireless Experts

By Elisa Batista

Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56594,00.html

02:00 AM Nov. 27, 2002 PT

The security of wireless networks is of "critical concern," according to a report presented to the United Nations on Monday.

A collaboration of computer experts from the wireless industry, government and academia, the report said wireless local area networks proliferating in homes, schools, parks, airports and coffee shops are more prone to hacker attacks than fixed-line networks.

On regular networks, information travels through cables. But with wireless networks, hackers with enough time and programming skills can steal information "right out of the air," said Eugene Spafford, an organizer of Purdue University's Wireless Security Forum, which helped draft the report.

"As a hammer can be used both to build houses and to destroy treasured works of art, so can wireless technology be both beneficial and harmful," Spafford told the Purdue News. "The best outcomes of the forum's efforts would be for this report to help leaders make more balanced decisions and to influence the wireless industry to pay more attention to security and privacy in their future designs."

Governments of many developing countries look at wireless technology as a way to enter the information age without having to invest in expensive infrastructure, the report said. But they should also monitor use of the technology and intervene "where appropriate and necessary" to prevent security breaches.

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New York, the city that never shuts up? On the contrary, there are too many "dead zones," preventing people from using their cell phones in the city, according to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).

The senator has asked the Federal Communications Commission to create new regulations to improve cell-phone service in the United States, according to Newsday. Schumer also said cell-phone users should be allowed to switch carriers and keep their phone numbers. And he wants carriers to stop charging customers by the minute when their calls are dropped and to give more detailed information about the range and quality of their services.

"Arguments against regulation ... can't be used to preserve a system that forces customers to deal with poor service and prevents them from making a free and informed choice," Schumer said.

In the meantime, the New York City Council's Consumer Affairs Committee voted 4 to 1 to pass legislation that would ban the use of cell phones "in places of public performance" such as movie theaters and concert halls. The bill is expected to pass the 51-member council in December.

- - -

Bienvenidos 3G: Movilnet, a Venezuelan subsidiary of Verizon, has launched one of the first next-generation cell-phone services in Latin America.

The cdma2000 1x system is based on the same technology Sprint PCS and Verizon rolled out in the United States over the past year. It gives customers improved voice service, faster data rates, and the ability to send and receive photographs and text on their cell phones.

Movilnet President Gustavo Roosen said the 3G system will allow his company to accommodate more customers and offer them services in addition to voice calls.

- - -

A hand up from Handspring: Some Handspring Treo owners can now download free software to upgrade their cell-phone service.

The software, available to T-Mobile subscribers, promises improved voice calls and faster Internet connections.

The Treo is a combination cell phone, personal digital assistant and e-mail device. To get people to snap up the communicator this holiday season, Handspring (HAND) is offering potential customers a free DVD player with the purchase of a full-color Treo communicator. The cheapest model, the Treo 90, costs $300.

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