What can travel industry teach us about digital transformation?

The travel industry is in a league of it’s own.Uncontested.Unstoppable.Developing complimentary markets like acomodation, transport,food, wellness,finance in addition to it’s own. Funding and taking them to new heights.

Such has been it’s impact that nations have now started to realize the importance of “destination marketing” to attract more tourists. Not simply for financial rewards but also for cultural diffusion.

In the last decade tourism has been the biggest driver of digital growth. Bold claim? You decide.

Why do people use Instagram? What category of posts are most popular on Facebook? How are hotel rooms being sold? How are airline tickets being booked? How do you research for a new place to go?

It seems paradoxical that an industry that is experiential, natural and physical should be seen as a poster child for the adoption of digital/electronic technology. But that’s exactly what it is.

What has the travel industry gotten right that it’s digital transformation journey became so seamless.

Was it the lack of regulatory hurdle? Certainly not. As is evident from stringent visa and passport application requirements in addition to geo political complexity.

“Maybe it was due to external capital infusion by lenders?”

Maybe. But then can you point to any one investor that invested in travel to transform the market for the whole world? Our search proved futile. And infact we discovered that most investors were averese to investment in travel.

“Then surely it has rided on the wave of technology”

That is a more moderate claim. But if that is true then how come travel has adapted so well where as others like say education, finance,agriculture, medicine, manufacturing, energy have responded meekly.

What is it about travel that seems to turn all the technological trends in it’s favor? Smart phones,social media,airlines,civil construction, the internet.

How has travel managed to elicit such an enthusiastic participation from the consumers and partners?

What can we learn from the travel industry and apply it to others businesses to simplify their digital transformation journey?

A lot of things. But a few aspects stand out.

1. An open embrace of social media and other internet technologies.
2. A consumer oriented approach. Not just in what you sell but also how you sell it. A practice of going to where the customers are rather than waiting for them to come to you. An inclination to serve rather than to earn.
3. But most importantly an open mind and open heart. A belief in the spirit of discovery. The flexibility of mind to accept and welcome change. And an understanding that new breakthroughs can lead to something better.

The success of travel industry is not an accident contingent upon the presence of acquisition of natural, breathtaking locations. Rather it is its principles, practices and beliefs that puts it heads and shoulders above the rest.

Digital transformation is not so much about digital technology as it is about the state of mind. Travel industry had the right inclination that allowed it to gain the benefits of technology.

That is what other industries should look to emulate.

August 10, 2019

What can a digital transformation transform?

Information Technology does not generate any value by itself. It’s only a support industry. For digital technology to succeed people must use it to simplify/improve their business process.

For people to effectively use a technology they must spend time and effort in learning it.

The problem with new technology adoption is why must anyone learn to use it if they can do without it? It is thought of an irritant. Something that gets in the way of the job rather than helping them do it more effectively.

Digital transformation must start with a change in mindset. An open approach to test if there is something that can help us do things better? Perhaps with something that is even more fundamental.

Do we need to change the way we work?

workrockin@gmail.com

August 9, 2019

Simple Wave Access network for digital transformation

Simple Wave Access Network (SWAN) is a modular, component based, digital telecommunication technology stack.
The SWAN stack allows organizations to choose from top of the class hardware and software components that helps them make the digital transformation effectively.The SWAN stack is based on three guiding principles

The components, both software and hardware, should be readily available, in plentiful quantity. Lock in should be avoided at all costs. Any component must be compatible across all the vendors.
The components must follow the established standards. They must work with existing protocols and support common operational procedures. While new protocols and standards may be invented as per the need backwards compatibility must be maintained.
The components must aid in service delivery, customer support and business management.

The goal of SWAN Stack is to enable quick and inexpensive deployment of digital services. It is expected that SWAN stack will help organizations

Drive the digital growth in key economic sectors of banking, education, tourism, health and transport.
Improve the ease of doing business through access to information and simplification of the compliance procedure.
Use digital technology for acquisition of new customers, provision of new services to existing customers and help in business expansion. SWAN stack turns technology from a cost center to a profit center.

workrockin@gmail.com

August 8, 2019

How to choose a wifi router that can connect to 50 or more devices?

Before I can answer this it is important to understand how the data is transmitted over wifi.

Wifi uses what is known as CSMA/CA as medium access control.

CSMA stands for carrier sense multiple access. It means that a single wifi channel is shared among multiple devices but transmission occurs only when the channel is completely free. In other words only one device can use a channel at a time.

CA stands for collision avoidence. This is the part that is responsible for implemting the channel integrity that is the requirement of CSMA. It makes sure that the channel is completely free before allocating to a wifi device.

Wifi devices that remain unconnected have a cool down period during which they do nothing and after which they try again.

When you have a large number of devices that are doing nothing then almost any router can keep them happily “connected”. They’ll just sit and wait untill they want something to be transmitted.

In a more dynamic system where multiple devices are sending and receiving data the demands on the wireless router increases. Then it needs to have

Good Radios.
Adequate RAM.
A good processor.

Absent any one of these things the router itself becomes a bottleneck.

However higer end router become dramatically more expensive. So much so that it’s way better to have multiple cheap routers providing wireless access than a single more expensive one.

Depending upon your budget I’d say buy a couple of entry level AC wifi routers and have them operate on different channels.

August 8, 2019August 8, 2019

What would happen to all the devices that don’t support 5G?

Eventually mobile networks are phased away [1]. It is all but impossible for a Mobile Network Operator to keep on supporting the legacy standards while also trying to deploy cutting edge technologies.

The G networks seem to have a 10 year cycle. Every decade the whole telecom infrastructure has to shift. If the shift was due to a fundamental change in user behavior it would make sense. But its not. The shift is to only provide more data to the consumers. Rather than increasing operational efficiency of existing networks the solution seems to be change the networks all together. Start from 0. Again and again and again.

Until recently this was fine. Mobile phones were not as powerful as they are now. They served a purpose for portable mobile and messaging service and this they served well.

With more powerful phones in the market the demand for better telecommunication service increased. There was no point in purchasing a touch screen smartphone if it could only do the same things that a feature phone could. As the capabilities of phone increased , mobile networks too improved their services. Now you could get internet on your phone. With internet you could access all kind of services like facebook, gmail, youtube etc.

I mention all this to underline the fact that mobile networks don’t operate in isolation. There’s an entire ecosystem that works together. Everything is important.

Phones are important to access the telecommunication services.

Networks are important to offer digital service distribution.

Services are important, well, because without services what is the point of a distribution system. If there were no youtube for example, people won’t use data as much. If consumers don’t use data, operators would find no need to upgrade their networks.

This gives us a good overview of how the ecosystem works. But its still a bit more complex. Network distribution occurs over a variety of protocols all having different capabilities. 2G,3G,4G. If a standard is completely withdrawn it would render the device working on that standard useless.

Telecom network up-gradation depends heavily of device up-gradation. For a new telecom standard to work it is absolutely necessary that client devices support that standard and people buy those client devices.

One could say that up until now the reason for people to buy new smart phones was better performance, features, connectivity. And for now it does not seem like new devices are required.

Sure 5G can offer a bit more speed in theory. But that speed still doesn’t match the per user speed people can get from WiFi in their phones. There’s no apparent reason that a person would upgrade their device unless it breaks or stops working altogether. Even then it won’t necessarily be for 5G. The question will be sure 5G is good but what else you’ve got?

The fact is data is no longer a selling point. Maybe it was during the initial phase, the first few years when people were astonished to chat with their facebook friends on the go. Now its routine.

Back on topic. What will happen to all the phones?

If say a network is completely phased out the phone may not be able to connect to the cellular network via a SIM card. But it will still be a very good camera, a portable music player, an ebook reader and with the proliferation of wifi hotspots an internet surfing device.

As this unsustainable trend of discarding devices generation after generation continues, markets,in my personal opinion, will evolve so as to not rely on cellular networks at all. All of the data needs of the consumers will be fulfilled by open and cheap WiFi networks.

This would be a welcome change for mobile network operators as well because this 10 year cycle of network up-gradation is causing a lot of instability in their operations. Just as the time comes to reap profit of their heavy investment and hard work a new G network shows up! Before 5G is done we’ll already start hearing news about 6G. The industry can’t sustain this.

[1] Recently airtel announced that it is going to phase away its 3g network which means that the 3G mobile phones will no longer be able to work with airtel network . It can be expected that other mobile operators will follow airtel’s path.

https://www.livemint.com/industry/telecom/airtel-to-shut-down-3g-networks-across-india-by-march-2020-1564741548731.html

Simple Wave, an inexpensive last mile communication platform

https://workrockin.github.io/simple-wave/

August 8, 2019August 8, 2019

What internet speeds can we expect in developing countries by 2020?

In order to answer this question correctly we need to first take a step back and understand how internet works and how data is actually distributed.

1. Undersea fiber optic cables form the physical layer providing global internet connectivity. Fiber optic cable endpoints are available in all the continents [1] and countries having coastal regions. The cables are owned by telecom companies, governments etc

2. The internet from the global backbone is then distributed to users via several means. Wireless (using 3G, 4G, 5G and wifi). Wired using data cables (copper and now increasingly fiber optic).

3. All the distribution is done with the help of what are known as feeders/backhauls etc. These instruments serve as gateways or proxies to the main internet line.

Considering the three points above it should be quite clear that per user speed depends upon two factors.

1. The bandwidth available at the internet lines (more lines directly translate to more bandwidth)

2. The efficiency of the last mile distributors. While backhauls perform a very important role in regulating the internet they might themselves prove to be a bottleneck, as it is being observed in 5G deployment. [2]

Now after seeing the map [1] A natural question might arise that if internet cable is available in all the continents, and almost all the countries then why do 3B people (nearly half of the worlds population) have no access to internet? [3]

The reason is that last mile connectivity is expensive. Generating funds to lay down an infrastructure is difficult. Even after funds are available execution is not that simple.

For example take a look at this performance report on Central African Backbone project for connecting CAMEROON, CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE, in which the world bank invested some $24 M

Click to access ppar_centralafricanbackbone.pdf

So rather than speed the more pressing issue at hand is how to get more people connected.

The good thing is that people who will get internet for the first time will enjoy far better speeds because of installation of a more flexible, future proof infrastructure from the start.

In cities while the internet coverage has been good it has traditionally been routed on copper cables. Copper cables have a low upper limit on the amount of data that can be carried so many places around the world will need to upgrade their underlying cabling as the demand for data increases.

This is a very very expensive process. I’m not talking about expense in terms of money invested, but rather the uphill task of acquiring licence, pleasing the regulators dealing with civic authorities.

Its a miracle that such a big infrastructural undertaking has been successful in the first place. To do it all over again…. I’m not sure if that would be the best of ideas.

On the other hand rural areas that have had poor connectivity will get all the benefits of fiber, when they do from the start.

And for the first time ever, it may be actually cheaper to set up internet in a village rather than overhaul the infrastructure in the city. Because there is a lot more potential for new subscribers as well as less hurdles in implementation, and low competition. This is one of the main reasons that companies like Google and Microsoft (software companies) are suddenly jumping into the rural connectivity, or digitization as they like to call it, business.

Now lets get to the point. How fast is fast enough? What is a good internet speed that operators can sustain for 10–20 years and earn a profit on their investment?

More than anything the speeds depend upon the last mile distribution strategy used. Laying underground fiber is years/decades of work. It may be possible to do it quickly but its going to be expensive. Wireless distribution seems to be the best way to set up cheap and quick internet services.

But then again acquiring cellular frequencies can be costly. Fastest data speeds can be attained on the top of cheapest infrastructure. Otherwise operators will put quota on the data usage, and limit the speed until profits start coming in. And not just that there need to be more local internet service providers that can take the internet from base stations to the home. Handle customer relations, provide support and build a business.

In developing nations there is shortage not only of the internet availability but also of entrepreneurs and skilled professionals who can supply the services to the people.

Even so the prospects are exciting.

On 24th June 2019, for example, [Telxius in partnership with América Móvil](https://telxius.com/en/news-america-movil/) announced [4] 7,300 km, **108 Tbps** cable to connect Puerto San José (Guatemala) with Valparaíso (Chile) with additional landing points in Salinas (Ecuador), Lurín (Peru) and Arica (Chile).

5 developing countries getting a Terrabit internet fiber on their shores. How will this internet be divided among the people its almost impossible to say. But I’ll say this I’d love to stream Game of thrones on any one of the landing points 🙂

**Foot notes and references**

[1] Fiber optic cable map [https://www.submarinecablemap.co…](https://www.submarinecablemap.com/#/)

[2] “*5G backhaul network will need to support hundreds of gigabits of traffic from the core network and today’s cellular backhaul networks are infeasible to meet these requirements in terms of capacity, availability, latency, energy, and cost efficiency*” (https://www.intechopen.com/books/broadband-communications-networks-recent-advances-and-lessons-from-practice/5g-backhaul-requirements-challenges-and-emerging-technologies)

[3] As of 2019 out of **7,716,223,209** people **4,422,494,622** people have access to internet**. 42.7%** of the world is unconnected**.** (https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm)

[4] (https://telxius.com/en/news-america-movil/)

Simple Wave, an inexpensive last mile communication technology

(https://workrockin.github.io/simple-wave)

August 2, 2019

Why is there a non uniform current distribution in a short dipole antenna?

In a uniform current distribution(in which current is same throughout the length of the antenna), the antenna will act like a transmission wire instead of a radio transmitter.

In any kind of transmitting antenna (not just short dipole) the current is varying because varying electric current produces electromagnetic fields. On the transmitter side the antenna radiates these fields as electromagnetic waves.

On the receiver side the antenna captures the radiated electromagnetic fields and convert it into an electrical current.

If the current were non varying or uniform, negligible electromagnetic fields would be produced and there would be a very weak signal. No electromagnetic waves will be transmitted and there will be nothing for the receiver to pick up.

Here’s how the varying current is applied

This is what’s produced

SIMPLE WλVE

An inexpensive last mile communication technology

https://workrockin.github.io/simple-wave

August 2, 2019August 2, 2019

Simple Wave’s South American Wireless Backhaul

On 24th June 2019 Telxius in partnership with América Móvil announced 7,300 km, 108 Tbps cable to connect Puerto San José (Guatemala) with Valparaíso (Chile) with additional landing points in Salinas (Ecuador), Lurín (Peru) and Arica (Chile).

The transcontinental cable covers a total of 5 countries in North and South America and is expected to be functional in 2020.

The 5 landing points of the cable are all coastal tourist hot spots. This presents an opportunity for wireless internet service providers to strengthen their network and offer customized services to the tourists on top of regular data pack. Simple Wave’s customizable wireless technology can help effective monetization of the network, by both mobile network operators as well as service providers looking to attract new customers.

Here’s How

Simple Wave’s unified identity technology can be used to provide internet access to foreign and domestic tourists with seamless roaming capability. No need to register separately with every hotspot. Our wireless technology works on open standards. A mobile network operator does not need to invest in in acquiring new spectrum. Existing ISM bands will be enough.
Simple Wave’s built in offline e-commerce services will help merchants digitize their sales. Together with identity based internet access it allows for more efficient transactions. Tourists can look up nearby hotels, restaurants and other places of interest. Make reservations/interact with staff. All on a high speed wireless gigabit internet.
Simple Wave’s integrated digital service infrastructure allows providers like banks to offer financial products (think prepaid cards, travel insurance, financial education etc) to tourists. It allows cultural institutions to offer a rich content guides to help the travelers know more about their destination. Where as colleges and other educational institutions can offer wireless offline courses to promote educational tourism.

Simple Wave works on open technology standards. All the value added services listed above will work without the need of installing any app by the user. All that is needed is a device capable of connecting to wifi.

Simple Wave’s inexpensive last mile communication infrastructure specializes in setting up wireless back-haul services. With our technology an internet service provider can build wireless internet bridges from the coasts to the inlands reducing the total expenditure on infrastructure as well as providing a better quality of service in the dense city environments.

Our wireless gigabit base stations are compatible with fiber optic cables and can be used to offer both online and offline network services. Are you a wireless internet service provider in South America? Learn more about Simple Wave [1] or write to us on

workrockin@gmail.com

λ

[1] https://workrockin.github.io/simple-wave/

July 31, 2019

What is the difference between wifi adapter with and without antenna? Which one is better?

All wifi devices have antennas. That is how they are able to transmit wifi signals. Without antenna there can be no wifi.

Portable devices like mobile phone, chip based wifi adapters, laptop and computers have PIFA (planar inverted-F antenna). They are used because:-

“PIFAs can be printed using the microstrip format, a widely used technology that allows printed RF components to be manufactured as part of the same printed circuit board used to mount other components. ” [1] [2]

“A: printed inverted-F antenna, B: meandered printed inverted-F antenna: C: patch antenna: D: Planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) ”

In case there is no visible antenna in a Wifi device it is most probably using PIFA.

Visible antennas are of various types [3] depending upon the requirement. Most commonly, though you’ll find dipole antennas on wifi device that are omni directional. That is they can radiate signals in all directions.

An external antenna is better in the sense that it does allow you to have better transmission and reception capabilities. So it will most likely outperform a device that has no external antennas.

The newer wifi devices these days,with external antennas, come with MU-MIMO support (do check the specifications though before buying!) which allow them to introduce parallelism in data transfer. That is transmitting and receiving data from multiple devices at once.

So yes, an adapter with an external antenna is an indication of a better performing (in terms of transmission and reception quality) than a similar device with no external antenna.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted-F_antenna

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_antenna

[3]https://www.accessagility.com/blog/wifi-antenna-types

Simple Wave, an inexpensive last mile communication technology.

https://www.reddit.com/user/workrockin/comments/cj9p7b/simple_wave_an_inexpensive_last_mile/

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019

Why are top speeds of 4G not reached?

As per the IMT-advanced specification [1]

the International Telecommunications Union-Radio communications sector (ITU-R) specified a set of requirements for 4G standards, named the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification, setting peak speed requirements for 4G service at 100 megabits per second (Mbit/s)(=12.5 megabytes per second) for high mobility communication (such as from trains and cars) and 1 gigabit per second (Gbit/s) for low mobility communication (such as pedestrians and stationary users).

As far as I can tell these speeds have not been attained in the real world. There could be many reasons. Some that I can think of are

Telecom companies have to pay a lot of money to acquire spectrum and they are left with limited funds for setting up the infrastructure required to achieve higher speeds.
Per user speed depends upon many factors including strength of the signal, number of users, number of mobile towers per user. Not all areas may get the same coverage. For a same provider one location may get high speed connection while another may not.
To reduce cost of operations and to increase competition among the telecom companies some legislations have made it a requirement to share towers.While this (mobile companies sharing towers) has led to a better connection for all the networks ,and not just for any one provider, it has also reduced the initiative by any mobile company to set up a dedicated tower. So there’s a chicken and egg problem here. If there are no communication towers in an area that is underserved who will be the first to set it up?
The apparent speed of a cellular network, for the end user at least ,is internet speed. Internet speed is dependant on underlying fiber optic network. So even if cellular link speed is high internet bandwidth may not be because of a deficient fiber optic connectivity.
A new network standard takes time to evolve. 4G is still only 10 years old. Devices that can benfit from 4G connectivity have reached a critical size only a few years ago. So when you set up a new network how much do you invest? Already we’re into 5G era. Now the question becomes should we move to cutting edge or improve existing networks? No easy answer unfortunately.

[1]4G – Wikipedia

Simple wave, an inexpensive last mile communication technology