The Italian Province of Brescia will soon become a Wi-Fi zone, thanks to a network being developed by Cisco Systems. The mesh extends over 4,800 square kilometers and covers over 200 rural towns.
Cisco put about 600 access points on light poles, and plans to deploy 200 more to complete the project. It also installed switches in town halls and a management system for the network. Aside from Internet connection, the Cisco-built network will offer VoIP and videoconferencing to city agencies and local businesses.
Building municipal and city-wide wireless networks has become a global trend. In the U.S., over 300 municipalities are looking at rolling out WiFi networks. A similar phenomenon is seen in Mexico, China, and Taiwan.
Via [informationweek.com]
A metro-scale WiFi is the talk of the town and the dream of the future. Currently meshes are the answer to large scale WiFi networks but meshes may not be able to provide enough capacity for multiple classes of users and multiple applications on the same infrastructure. To combat this problem the mesh vendors are adding additional radios to their system. This could be the solution to several problems with mesh technology and may lead WiFi into an entirely new direction.
Via [computerworld.com]
For 11 weeks through June 15, Motorola is running a program that will enable early-adopter cities to receive credits for exchanging their wireless gear for Motorola’s “HotZone Duo” products. Under the Superior Wireless Access Program, Motorola will pay $500 for each old unit exchanged with a single-radio HotZone Duo node and $750 for those wanting dual-radio HotZone Duo as a replacement for their gadgets. Customers can swap as many as 10 units.
Motorola launched the initiative following an Uptown Services study showing that actual performance by mesh networks in three Californian municipalities — Lompoc, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale — failed to reach the industry benchmark of 90 percent outdoor coverage. According to Paul Mueller, Motorola’s VP for wireless broadband distribution, “many of the early customers in the mesh network space have run pilots with older, first-generation mesh solutions that simply cannot perform or scale to meet the expanding needs of a metro-wide network.”
Via [informationweek.com]
Proxim Wireless is now offering WiFi mesh base nodes with wireless backhaul in licensed or unlicensed spectrum. MeshMAX is a system that integrates AP4000MR, the company’s outdoor mesh nodes, with broadband wireless radios for backhaul, which can be either 802.16d fixed WiMAX in the 3.5GHz range or Proxim’s “pre-WiMax” MP11 base station in unlicensed spectrum of 2.4GHz or 5.1GHz-5.8GHz. MeshMAX relies on thin BSTs, which can be installed in streetlights or existing cell towers and operated centrally from a network management system. Proxim CEO Robert Fitzgerald said the solution allows carriers with 3.5GHz spectrum to “do 16d with a 16e-like (mobile WiMAX) experience,” and, with the existence of about 300 million devices today, removes the need to issue special 16e data cards for machines such as laptops.
Via [cbronline.com]
DaimlerChrysler announced that its field trial of WILLWARN, a research project by the PReVENT initiative aimed at reducing road accidents in Europe, has been a success.
The project involves installing WLAN routers in cars to allow drivers to share information on temperature, road conditions, fog, or road obstructions within a 500 meter radius. Car2Car Communication Consortium developed the system, which would use 5.9GHz band to enable the ad-hoc mesh network.
Engineers hope to expand the features of the technology in the future. They see a possible integration with GPS and mapping systems to help cars find other routes so they can elude gridlocks.
Via [arstechnica.com]
The 802.11s task force has gotten down to work. The task force is trying to come up with a mesh networking spec to finally define how to do it. Motorola has already taken the preliminary draft and stated that their software already supports it. As with most standards task forces, this one looks to have some battles brewing between proprietary technologies that want their standard to be the one accepted. In the end they will likely come up with something, but it should be an interesting battle.
Via [wi-fiplanet.com]
Location sensing of WiFi enabled equipment and personelle is something that alot of companies have wanted for a a while. It’s tricky stuff and is’nt the easiest to setup, but can be invaluable for many reasons, such as location of key personelle and equipment, detection of rogue or attacking device, and for detecting the location of interfering devices. There’s alot of ways to do it and every company seems to have thier own prefered method.
Via [techworld.com]
Nortel is jumping into mesh networking with both feet. After wiring up Taipei with a mesh municipal wireless system, the Israeli town of Ariel is next to use this technology. The town is testing the mesh network as a solution for a host of things, including surveillance, water meters, data and voice communication and also free internet access for residents.
Via [today.reuters.co.uk]
Wireless mesh networking is the key ingredient in making the dream of municipal WiFi a reality. That dream is a little closer with the adoption of 802.11s. Until recently there was no standard available for early adopters to use so they were risking alot if things changed from the method they were using. The lack of any in-fighting or competing proposed standards in 802.11s seems to be a rare event. This means that it should pass through quickly and we should see mesh networking gear on the market about a year from now.
Via [techworld.com]
While making a nice push into branch offices has done a lot for Trapeze Networks, the maker of the Mobility System infrastructure equipment is ready to hit the campus.
Via [wi-fiplanet.com]
Resiliency is a key attribute of mesh networks. A mesh network supports multiple paths among network nodes, hence there is no single point of failure, and nodes can be added to increase redundancy. Mesh networks also can load-balance traffic to prevent congestion and reroute traffic around congested nodes.
Via [cio-today.com]
The wireless mesh network is currently seen as a practical solution for offering large-scale deployment of Wi-Fi access. With wireless mesh networks, a centralized controller performs the management of all the network access points, the benefit of which is to allow for better security and easier management.
Via [cio-today.com]
A study from ABI Research estimates the global market for 802.11 mesh products to be $116 million and that it will soar to $1.3 billion five years from now. Much of that will be spent by municipalities or service providers to offer low-cost wireless Internet access, says Sam Lucero, ABI senior analyst.
Via [newsfactor.com]
Though a late entry, Cisco’s first wireless LAN mesh product will throw fuel on an already hot market.
Via [networkworld.com]
Unfurling Wireless Mesh
The port city of Corpus Christi, Texas, has attached 300 wireless access points to traffic signals, streetlights, water and radio towers, and buildings to provide a blanket of IP network access across 24 square miles. Within five years, city officials plan to expand that to 1,600 wireless access points spread across 147 square miles.
Via [fcw.com]