NetStumbler.com

RoamAD has won a contract to build a network that will eventually provide wireless Internet coverage to 1.17 million homes or 59 percent of the urban population in the Dominican Republic. The New Zealand wireless network builder signed an agreement with DR Telecom towards the development of a 2.4GHz network, which will initially blanket about 10 square kilometers of the country’s capital, Santo Domingo. The first section will become operational in February, with rest of the service’s first phase to be deployed in June next year.

The network promises to deliver up to 1.5 Mbit/s but RoamAD chief executive Martyn Levy expects customer plans to range from 128 kbit/s to 512 kbit/s. Clients must use a WiFi-enabled device to connect to the network as well as equipment from Ruckus and PepLink, worth about $70, to access services like VoIP and security surveillance/CCTV. According to DR Telecom vice president Felix Rosario, the company has not fixed the price for access but will likely use a data-volume charging model instead of a time-based scheme for determining prices.
Via [computerworld.co.nz]

AT&T shut down in September its mobile WiMax trial in the Netherlands. Martin Silman, the carrier’s executive director of global market portfolio management, said the company had to make the decision because “the security (that the network) required involved buffering, which in turn introduced an unacceptable degree of latency.” Hence, Silman believes the technology will “take a couple of years… to mature.” He admitted that the trial used pre-standard or proto-standard equipment due to the absence of certification laboratories for 802.16e-based products.

The test in the European country was the first done using mobile WiMAX but the fourth with 16e. Last year, the company carried out trials using fixed WiMAX or 16d in Atlanta, New Jersey, and Alaska.

Meanwhile, AT&T’s regional VP of EMEA John Slamecka disclosed that this year the company will expand its WiFi coverage in Europe, with The Cloud joining companies like iPass in its list of partner providers.
Via [cbronline.com]

Officials at New York University sees a continuous growth in the availability of wireless Internet connectivity within the campus. A yearly survey by the Campus Computing Project indicates that coverage has grown over the years, with over half of college classrooms now having access to the university’s wireless network as compared to only two-fifths last year and a third in 2004. NYURoam’s coverage now includes 54 of the university’s 73 buildings or about 1.5 million square feet of space but excludes residence halls, though certain dining halls and student lounges also have access to the network.

NYU chief information technology officer Marilyn McMillan said yearly expansion plans are based on suggestions from the university’s constituency — student senators, the housing department, the student affairs department and the university’s individual schools and departments — and on the principle of “trying to get the greatest impact for an affordable investment.” McMillan could not say the annual cost for maintaining NYURoam as ITS integrates that into the department’s full budget.

The university has introduced new network-access standards to quell concerns of data theft when connecting to NYURoam. The network uses the Lightweight Extension Authentication Protocol, which can authenticate a user by creating a different unique signature everytime he or she logs in.
Via [nyunews.com]

Washington State Ferries has shut down its free wireless Internet service. The decision ensued from the expiry of a grant that used to finance the program. WSF implemented the switch initially in the Bainbridge Island and Kingston routes and plans to do the same for Bremerton in December. Passengers may still get WiFi connection if they are already subscribed to iPass, T-Mobile and Sprint, or if they are willing to pay the ferry for the service. WSF is now charging $2.95 for 15 minutes of use, $6.95 per day, and $29.95 a month.
Via [seattletimes.nwsource.com]

Samsung Electronics will begin shipping a new device that is packed with a broad range of mobile services by March next year. This new portable gadget called Deluxe MITs (or mobile intelligent terminal by Samsung) is a phone, miniature PC, TV, MP3 player, digital camera, camcorder, and personal media player (PMP) rolled into one.

According to Samsung President Lee Ki Tae, Deluxe MITs “is a (sic) best example of convergence.” Such capability is made possible via mobile WiMax, a standard on which Samsung based the product.
Via [businessweek.com]

Alcatel and India’s state-run Center for Development of Telematics (C-Dot) have opened a research center for the development of ready-to-industrialize products and reference designs that are based on WiMax Forum standards. The facility seeks to show the advantages of WiMAX IEEE 802.16e- 2005 and the residential and business uses of VoIP, high-speed Internet connection, as well as multimedia applications like IPTV, mobile TV, and video streaming.

Research firms Tonse Telecom and Maravedis projected that WiMax subscribers in India will number 13 million by 2012. Several companies are currently undertaking a trial of the technology in the country, including Intel, which has launched a pilot project in a Maharashtra hospital.
Via [redherring.com]

A new survey by WiFi Alliance shows that WiFi is becoming more popular, with nearly 9 out of 10 respondents choosing their wireless connection over a year’s worth of Starbucks. Moreover, 80 percent of those surveyed would not mind seeing their home team lose if they can keep their WiFi connection.

This increasing popularity, however, has not yet translated into high interest in the technology among consumer electronic makers. According to In-Stat analyst Gemma Tedesco, only handheld games and gaming consoles, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3 (its high-end version) and PlayStation Portable as well as Nintendo’s Wii and DS, have been embedded with WiFi. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has no built-in WiFi but with an extra $100, clients can get an 802.11a/b/g USB adapter.

Tedesco noted that manufacturers of other gadgets such as media players, digital cameras, set-top boxes and digital TVs opted not to integrate WiFi into their products. She ascribed this situation, particularly for media players, to digital rights management and quality-of-service issues. Tedesco expects interest in built-in WiFi with the ratification of 802.11n standard, which offers higher speed.
Via [pcworld.com]

The city of Bellevue in Washington is deploying a WiFi network in the downtown area. Once installed, the network will initially extend over a 1.5-acre area from City Hall and Meydenbauer Center on the east to Bellevue Square and the Downtown Park on the west. Eventually, according to Bellevue Information Technology Manager David Kerr, the network, which will provide open-air connection, would serve the whole city.

Kerr said the city will refine the network over the coming weeks and by early December, HarborLink will start offering a free consumer service. The Dayton, Ohio-based ISP looks to make a profit from advertisements and will hand over 10 percent of its revenues to the city in exchange for use of the network. The city, Kerr added, is hoping three or four ISPs will lease bandwidth from the network, whether to provide a free or fee-based service.

According to Wi-Fi Networking News publisher Glenn Fleishman, Bellevue’s WiFi project is a good move as “it is a real business district with tons of people coming into it.”
Via [seattlepi.nwsource.com]

Foster City in California is offering free wireless Internet connection to its 29,000 residents. The scheme, which the city began implementing in early October, aims to lower costs and improve public services. MetroFi built the network and signed a service level agreement that would allow anyone owning a WiFi-enabled device to use the service. Foster City Mayor Linda Koelling hailed the project, which she believes will “provide… residents and businesses with a fantastic opportunity for internet connectivity in public spaces.”
Via [itpro.co.uk]

A study by ABI Research indicates that the number of WiFi hotspots around the world has risen by 47 percent to 143,700 in 2006. Europe — home to 57,000 hotspots — and North America account for 74 percent of the volume but Asia-Pacific is expected to surpass both regions in five years due to its rapid growth. ABI also sees an increase in the number of access points worldwide, with over 675,000 to be shipped this year. In addition, subscribers are staying longer online using WiFi. Retail and hospitality companies, according to the analyst firm, are driving the growth. The hospitality industry has already deployed 40,000 hotspots worldwide, and will install a further 109,000 within the next four years.
Via [computerworld.com]

This year will see an increase in the number of WiFi hotspots worldwide by 143,700 or about 47 percent, according to a new report by ABI Research. The research firm ascribed the trend to an increasing demand and use of WiFi, particularly in retail establishments and the hotel industry. Nearly three quarters of all hotspots are in North America and Europe, but Asia-Pacific, ABI vice president and research director Stan Schatt believed, will overtake the two regions by 2011.
Via [news.yahoo.com]

VARs could play a big role in convincing businesses to embrace WiFi. To do this, some suggest that resellers adopt the technology themselves. But, according to Foundry Networks product marketing manager Michael Hong, VARs need sufficient know-how and training in providing maintenance and support before they can deploy their own networks. Stephen Dane, director of iPass, believes resellers may find a niche in the small and medium enterprise sector, which is not sufficiently served by large telcos. Security risks related to WiFi may mean more consultancy in case of a complex setup for corporate environments. But the major risk for VARs, Applinet technical director Robert Casula noted, is the fast evolution of wireless technology and standards that could make previous technologies obsolete. This could lead to a costly lift-and-shift upgrade for the solutions they sold.
Via [vnunet.com]

Although considered a technology for the consumer market, 802.11n supports key applications that are useful to enterprises. These include ERP and CRM systems, workgroup computing applications, and various wireless backhaul applications, which need throughputs higher than what the current 802.11 standards can deliver. Such capacity is due to 802.11n’s features, particularly multiple-input multiple-output. MIMO improves spectral efficiency and reduce multipath, a persistent cause of 802.11 interference.
Via [networkworld.com]

New Orleans will shut down its city-wide WiFi network once EarthLink’s system becomes operational either later this year or by early 2007. The current network delivers a speed of 128 Kbps, with equipment supplied by Intel, Tropos Networks, and Pronto Networks to help the city restore its communications infrastructure following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans’ IT director Mark Kurt said the city needs to take down the network so as not to interfere with EarthLink’s equipment. The ISP assured that it will continue to provide free service for as along as the city is still rebuilding.
Via [arstechnica.com]

Azimuth Systems has released a new test suite that could reduce the testing time for WiFi products by two-thirds. WiFi Alliance’s Authorized Test Laboratories worldwide will use the AzCert Wi-Fi Certification Test Suite. Azimuth vice president of marketing Jeff Abramowitz estimated that testing will take between four and five hours. Although the laboratories have yet to certify a product, Abramowitz believes they will come out with an announcement soon and more in the future as “faster turnaround is expected.”
Via [wi-fiplanet.com]