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WiFi could be the saviour of struggling 3G phone networks

A report suggests that the threat of conflict between WiFi and 3G has been exaggerated. Probe Research says that in fact, WiFi data could extend the reach of 3G.

"Probe Research's assessment is that public WLAN hotspots cannot only coexist [with 3G] but they can be used to promote 2.5G and 3G networks by offering data communication capacity in areas of high demand or where these advanced networks have not yet been deployed," says the press summary of the report, "Wi-Fi and 3G – Savior or Destroyer?"

Probe analyst David Chamberlain: "Public wireless local area network systems have recently experienced phenomenal growth, and carriers that choose to provide Wi-Fi access for their mobile data customers can benefit from Wi-Fi's higher speed, lower cost and ability to provide capacity in indoor locations."

His report says 2.5G and 3G wireless carriers could benefit from being able to offer lots of cheap capacity where users congregate, instead of making the capital expenditures necessary to build a complete mobile network system to accommodate the brief peak loads they will experience.

See Probe's site for more detail of this report.