Will influx of iPads cripple wireless networks?
Official warns of need for expanded wireless capacity By Michael HardyApr 06, 2010 The release of Apple’s iPad will add another flood of wireless-ready devices to the demand for wireless connectivity, and at least one government official fears that the proliferation of gadgets could bog down wireless networks. Phil Bellaria, director of scenario planning for the government’s Omnibus Broadband Initiative, is concerned. In a blog post published Feb. 1, he wrote that even before the iPad’s official release, there have been reports of overburdened wireless networks faltering. “These problems are reminiscent of the congestion dialup users experienced following [America Online’s] 1996 decision to allow unlimited Internet use,” he wrote. “For months users had trouble connecting and, once they did connect, experienced frequent service outages.” The AOL problems revealed “an intense latent demand for Internet access,” and the wireless congestion today is doing the same. “Widespread use of smart
