Windy City WiFi proposals solicited

The city of Chicago plans to seek proposals for a citywide WiFi system that would be built without taxpayer funds.
Officials plan to ask tech companies to submit their proposals in the spring for building the huge wireless Internet access network.
"The city won't invest money or operate the service," city spokesman Chris O'Brien told the Chicago Tribune. "The service cannot be too expensive and must be universally available across the city."
The Windy City joins the ranks of major American cities eyeing WiFi as a means of expanding Internet connectivity for citizens and accommodating the job-creating business community.
The Trib said that Chicago was already well-versed in WiFi, ranking third among major U.S. cities in the availability of hot spots behind New York and San Francisco.

Nokia pushes cellular-WiFi convergence at 3GSM

Nokia announced a host of initiatives in seamless connectivity between cellular and WiFi networks as well as cooperation with other handset makers on interoperability of DVB-H compliant handsets and networks on the opening day of the 3GSM World Congress here.
The company also announced Monday (Feb.3) that it is working even closer with Vodafone than previously to spread the uptake of Platform S60 based handsets and launched additional frequency variants of its Flexi W-CDMA compliant base stations.
“The global device market is continuing to show amazing growth, and there are huge opportunities for those able to innovate quickly,” said Jorma Ollila, chairman and CEO of the Finnish company.
Nokia also previewed what a “seamless solution” for Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) convergence including both network equipment and new handsets for what is becoming the talking point of the huge 3GSM Congress.
“We are taking a complete approach for this technology that offers seamless handover of voice and data between GSM cellular and WLAN networks, as well as being a useful approach to extending GSM indoor coverage,” said Ollila.
Its second generation UMA compliant handset, the 6136, incorporates a host of voice and data enhancements and network operators Orange is to be the lead customer for the converged phone, which should be available during the second quarter of the year.
On the handsets side, the Nokia chairman offered some optimistic forecasts for the prospects for 3G. “We expect to ship about 40 million 3G/W-CDMA devices globally this year, and capture 40 percent of the total market. We also plan to ship close to 80 million devices with integrated music players, and nearly double that for devices with integrated FM radio.”