Evolving wireless access technologies for municipal broadband

In recent years, the landscape for wireless technology has changed substantially, with profound implications for the evolution of last-mile access infrastructure. This paper provides a high-level introduction to emerging trends in wireless technology, with a special focus on how these are impacting municipal broadband deployments. Also discussed are some of the key architectural and design choices for wireless networking systems and their implications for cost and system performance. In addition, examples are provided regarding how the new wireless technologies are being deployed by municipalities in a variety of contexts, with reference to wireless technologies currently available from vendors. The policy implications of these trends are discussed further in a companion paper in this issue.