Report says WLANs may eat 3G's lunch: Another story, this one reporting on a research report, that 802.11b networks may pre-digest the food source that 3G hopes to sustain itself. My prediction continues to come true. Another reporter, unfortunately, trots out the 2 Mbps figure for 3G, which is a) a myth or vaporware (it doesn't exist yet), and b) only applies to indoors speeds, and c) I'm convinced by the overwhelming silence that it will require the lease of equipment from cell telephone companies to corporations. 2 Mbps won't be universal, nor will it be freely capitalized by the cell telcos.
Some inaccuracies: WiFi Metro, a startup wireless Internet access provider, recently launched a slew of Wi-Fi hubs for wireless Internet access in Northern California. WiFi Metro bought the assets of AirWave, an idealab company, which changed its business models. Most of their hot spots are in San Francisco and the vicinity, which is the most heavily Wi-Fi'd city in the world (with for-fee spots) at this point.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has approved the specifications for 802.11g but won't make it an official standard until early next year. My understanding is that G hasn't been ratified yet, and there are still issues to be resolved. The big one, the encoding algorithm, was settled by compromise a few months ago. (I'll have an alphabet soup article out next week that I'll point folks towards that updates the standards maze.)