n the increasingly socially unac- ceptable practice of using a cell phone while driving. Ubiquity, on the other hand, means universal connectivity; that is, the ability to count on the presence of a connection of one kind or another from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top of Mount McKinley and everywhere in between. From a development point-of-view, these two concepts are being used interchangeably, creating confusion and developmental paralysis. Con- sider, for example, Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is a high-speed wireless technology that provides 11 Mbps (or more-or less) of access bandwidth to roaming lap- tops and PDAs. Its installation in restaurants and coffee shops by the likes of McDonald's and Starbucks is being advertised as a great step forward in mobility. But this isn't mobility: People aren't walking around Starbucks with a Venti Latte in one hand and a laptop in the other, surf- ing for MP3s. In fact, they are sitting in a booth or at a table enjoying the merits of ubiquitous access. Yes, the connection happens to be wireless, and these people are not in their homes or offices, but the presence of Wi- Fi in this case is not an addition to the pantheon of mobility applications. It is, however, an application of ubiquitous connectivity. So, in this par- Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com) Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website. Access Technologies Access Technologies ticular situation, what value does the wireless loop add? It seems to me that Starbucks, McDonald's, and others could provide equal or better ser- vice to their customers who have a need to be connected by providing an RJ-45 cable or two at each table. It would be cheaper, more secure, and better in terms of service quality. Yet, there is a perceived sexiness asso- ciated with wireless that somehow precludes wired connectivity as an access option in ad hoc situations. Wi-Fi, of course, provides a conve