This report provides an overview of the current and near-future technologies being developed to support mobile data communications in Europe.


The main aim of the report is to identify the key characteristics of each bearer, their deployment status and their suitability for telematics.

xxxxx is the motivation behind many of the innovations in the mobile communications industry. It is pushing the cellular operators to enhance their 3G networks with xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx, and even to dream about 4G networks (whatever they may be). xxxxx is also one of the prime drivers behind the evolution of WiFi and the much-hyped Mobile WiMax, but in all of this development there has been little focus on the
xxxx xxxx xxx xxxxx in the car.

SBD believes that xxxxxxxxxxxx a primary barrier to the success of telematics in Europe. The quantity of data that needs to be sent to or from the car is typically small and so SBD believes that it is xxxxxxx and
xxxxxxx xxxxx that have limited the market to date.


WiFi and Mobile WiMax both have a xxxxx xxxx advantage over cellular data bearers and so they have been positioned, to varying degrees, as the potential solutions for next generation telematics. It is important to recognise, however, the xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx and xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxx that that could limit the eventual coverage and mobility of these technologies (refer to Figure 1 below).

WiFi has enabled users to connect their laptops to the Internet anywhere in the world. It is not hindered by the need for a xxxxxxxx or a xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx and its focus on data communications rather than voice has provided many xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxx advantages over cellular bearers. On the downside, however, the coverage of WiFi will be limited to commercial hotspots, small Metro WiFi zones in city centres and home networks. It is also limited to xxxxxxxxxx and xxxx xxxxxx xxxx since the technology is not optimised for vehicular use.


Mobile WiMax, on the other hand, is a compromise between the coverage and xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx of xxxxxxx xxxxxxx and the xxxxxxx and xxxxxx xxxxx of WiFi. Its real-world performance has still to be proven but there is an expectation that Mobile WiMax will be integrated into xxxxxxx from xxxxxxx and that it will become widely used from xxxx. Its roll-out will be affected, however, by operators needing to apply for licenses because Mobile WiMax does not operate in the unlicensed frequency band occupied by WiFi.


Mobile WiMax is positioned as a wireless technology that can be deployed xx x xxxx xxxxx. Its data rate is comparable to high speed cellular networks and it should be xxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xx xx xx
xxxxxx. It has x xxxxxx xx xxxxxxx xx xxxxxxx features that improve its performance over WiFi, but it is still limited compared to cellular. connection to xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx.