aster and more robust and efficient; these are important considerations for enterprises that are increasingly finding their present wireless LANs strained to the breaking point. Already available, 802.11a supports data rates of up to 54 Mbps. Widespread use, however, has been hampered by incompatibility with 802.11b technology (the standards use WLAN FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS different frequency ranges); thus a new standard was developed: 802.11g. This technology provides 802.11a-level data rates along with full 802.11b backward compatibility. The first 802.11g products started appearing in 2003, and the market is expected to shift into top gear by 2005. As prices begin falling, the new standard is expected to gradually edge out 802.11b technology. In the near future, support is likely to begin appearing for 802.11f, a stand- ard that provides interoperability between access points manufactured by various vendors, enabling portable device users to roam seamlessly between networks. And the alphabet soup doesn't stop there. An array of additional 802.11x standards, covering everything from quality of service (802.11e) to security (802.11i) to network performance and management (80211.k), are also expected to enter the mainstream over the next 12 to 36 months. Also on the horizon is 802.16. The WiMax standard enables wireless net- works to extend as far as 30 miles and transfer data, voice, and video at faster speeds than cable or DSL. It's perfect for ISPs that want to expand into sparsely populated areas, where the cost of bringing in DSL or cable wiring is too high. The future also looks promising for the up and coming low-rate Wireless PAN (WPAN) technology, 802.15.4, and ZigBee. The ZigBee specification, now in development, will define the network, security, and application interface layers, which can be used with an 802.15.4 solution to provide interoperability. ZigBee Alliance members are definitely determined to carve out a piece of the wireless pie for themselves. According to In-Stat/MDR, quite a bit hi