KEY PUBLIC NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS The variety of public network choices cited in the preceding chapter lead some potential users to despair at what seems a plethora of alternatives. Actually, specific user requirements can quickly eliminate many network candidates. This permits a more straightforward assessment of realistic alternatives. A few of those salient user characteristics are discussed here. COVERAGE While the scale is continuous, ranging from international down to a single truck depot, the user coverage requirements discussed in this book fall into three broad categories: 1. Nationwide. 2. Regional: Examples of this might include the field sales company that works a. | 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 3 KEY PUBLIC NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS The variety of public network choices cited in the preceding chapter lead some potential users to despair at what seems a plethora of alternatives. Actually specific user requirements can quickly eliminate many network candidates. This permits a more straightforward assessment of realistic alternatives. A few of those salient user characteristics are discussed here. COVERAGE While the scale is continuous ranging from international down to a single truck depot the user coverage requirements discussed in this book fall into three broad categories 1. Nationwide. 2. Regional Examples of this might include the field sales company that works a territory from Philadelphia to Boston but has no interest whatsoever in St. Louis or San Diego. 3. Metropolitan Taxi companies fall into this category as do many blue collar dispatching jobs . plumbers electricians . But many highly professional occupations such as lawyers and physicians may well be interested in only local coverage. As user coverage requirements broaden the number of qualified service providers diminishes rapidly. Metropolitan vehicle location networks such as Teletrac are useless for statewide applications. Multistate packet networks established by regional Bell operating companies RBOCs and their counterparts are often early casualties 20 MESSAGE LENGTH 21 when the application spans the nation. The old circuit switched cellular networks usually provide wide connection capability at the cost of a roaming fee. But the RBOCs are going digital and no two carriers it seems can agree on a common standard. Digital AT T Wireless devices will not operate on BAM networks and vice versa neither can work with the new PCS. Service provider candidates are classified by their network coverage capability in subsequent chapters. ARDIS
