NETWORK MYTHOLOGIES As we reach the end of the book, it is useful to consider the veracity of some of the common old wives tales that abound in the packet radio arena. These pronouncements are often accepted as gospel when they are anything but. A realistic appraisal of some of these claims will surely help one make more hard-eyed, useful business decisions. Given the state of the wireless data business, a little realism will be a refreshing conclusion. CDPD IS AN OPEN STANDARD; ARDIS AND BSWD ARE PROPRIETARY The claim is ubiquitous. AT&T Wireless says: AirData is based upon an. | The Wireless Data Haadbaak Fourth Edition. James F. DeRose Copyright 1999 John Wiley Sons Inc. ISBNs 0-471-31651-2 Hardback 0-471-22458-8 Electronic 20 NETWORK MYTHOLOGIES INTRODUCTION As we reach the end of the book it is useful to consider the veracity of some of the common old wives tales that abound in the packet radio arena. These pronouncements are often accepted as gospel when they are anything but. A realistic appraisal of some of these claims will surely help one make more hard-eyed useful business decisions. Given the state of the wireless data business a little realism will be a refreshing conclusion. CDPD IS AN OPEN STANDARD ARDIS AND BSWD ARE PROPRIETARY The claim is ubiquitous. AT T Wireless says AirData is based upon an open nonproprietary standard. 1 Echoing this theme Bell Atlantic claims that AirBridge Packet was designed to provide . an Open Industry Specification . with a large variety of vendors designing and building products . so that end users and customers have a wide variety of choices. . . . Unrestricted competition fosters competitive prices. 2 The CDPD Forum was slightly more nuanced The open CDPD Specification means that multiple equipment vendors are able to provide equipment. . . . The . . . user is not restricted to a small number of licensed manufacturers. 3 Consultants are happy to pile on CDPD was offered as an open specification permitting anyone to design and manufacture subscriber and or infrastructure products. 4 We must ask ourselves two questions concerning these claims 328 ARDIS HAS LIMITED CAPACITY 329 1. Are they uniquely true 2. If so have they had the desired result The answer to the first is Generally no. Mobitex has been an open nonproprietary protocol for user devices since at least 1988 before IBM even thought of proposing CDPD to McCaw. In 1989 two years before I had heard of CDPD I received my first terminal specification manuals for the 8-kbps North American system. Mobitex specifications are .
