Communication technology has historically isolated deaf people from mainstream information in society. The telephone, radio, television.

Future applications for the wireless Internet will depend on its ability to offer data transmission speeds that are comparable with the wired Web

Managing redundant information is becoming an important issue in today's increasingly large distributed computer networks

Wireless Internet networks extend their reach in city WIFI Technology is getting more powerful, and more companies offer the service.

Looking for a way onto the wireless Web without having to go through a cell phone company? WiFi can get you there.

WiFi, short for "wireless fidelity," is a networking technology that enables computer users to access the Internet without having to plug in any jacks or wires. Typically, WiFi networks are centered around access points, or "hot spots," that use an unregulated radio frequency to transfer data to nearby laptops, hand-held computers and other devices.

There are hundreds of hot spots around Anchorage, in offices, hotels, libraries, schools, coffee shops and other public places. Many are free to use.

Others charge a fee, either on a pay-as-you-go or monthly subscription basis.

Most WiFi networks will work only if you're within a few hundred feet of the transmitter. But the technology has been evolving, and WiFi's reach has been steadily increasing.

For example, TelAlaska, a rural phone company that also provides data services in urban areas, has set up a WiFi network that covers wide swaths of the Anchorage Bowl.

Users with a WiFi-enabled laptop or other device can log in from places where they can pick up TelAlaska's signal and pay by credit card for temporary access. Subscribers also can get an external antenna that picks up the WiFi signal and delivers it into their home or office.

Recently, a company called Clearwire began offering a similar service around Anchorage.

Clearwire sends wireless Internet signals from transmitters on cell towers.

Although it reaches further than most WiFi hotspots, Clearwire's service requires an external modem that needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet.