Equipment based on a third standard, 802.11a, has already debuted. While 802.11a equipment is considered more secure and operates in different radio frequency than Wi-Fi to reduce interference, it is not compatible with Wi-Fi or upcoming 802.11g products. Most equipment makers are hesitant to sell access points that offer just an 802.11a network, which are more expensive than notoriously inexpensive 802.11b equipment. Instead, equipment makers seem to be producing combination devices, which simultaneously offer both 802.11a and an 802.11b networks.

A wireless standard five times faster than Wi-Fi passes the first of several votes needed for approval from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) said Monday that a draft of the standard, 802.11g, passed the first of several votes needed before it's ultimately approved, The IEEE said it intends to finalize the 802.11g standard by May 2003, The 802.11g standard is part of the thicket of wireless networking standards, The most popular is Wi-Fi, or 802.11b, which has been installed in 15 million to 18 million homes and offices worldwide, The networks provide wireless Internet access within flower tattoo iphone case a radius of about 300 feet of an access point..

CNET también está disponible en español. Don't show this again. "It's kind of a continuation of what we saw last quarter," Johnson said on Monday. Sales of communications equipment--routers, switches, private branch exchange (PBX) systems, base units for wireless networks--have been in a freefall since early last year. With the economic downturn, companies have cut back on their capital expenditures. Additionally, hundreds of equipment purchasers--from small dot-coms to telecom giants such as WorldCom--have closed shop or filed for bankruptcy.

Purchases by traditional carriers comprise flower tattoo iphone case about 70 percent of total communications equipment sales, according to Johnson, Sales to non-carriers make up about 30 percent, he said, Even though the major equipment manufacturers saw their market share increase sequentially, most of them saw share--and their sales--fall when measured on a yearly basis, Alcatel, for instance, saw its market share drop from 11.9 percent in the second quarter last year to 10.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, and then to 10.2 percent in the second quarter, according to the Synergy report, Meanwhile, Alcatel's equipment sales fell from $4.4 billion in the year-ago quarter to $2.9 billion in the first quarter of 2002 and $2.8 billion in the second quarter..

Cisco has been benefiting from the stabilization of equipment sales to noncarriers, Johnson said. "They're taking market share," he said. "That's a focus of theirs, to take market share in a down market. They've done a good job at that domestically.". While sales to noncarriers have stabilized, carrier sales have been hurt by the economic downturn, Johnson said. Additionally, an uncertain regulatory environment has depressed equipment purchases by carriers, he said. Many local carriers, such as SBC and Southern Bell, are hoping to offer long-distance service in their territories and nationwide. But the Federal Communications Commission has yet to allow them to do so. Once they are permitted to offer new services, the carriers will likely step up equipment purchases to provide them, Johnson said.