Does Metro Wi-Fi Need to Be More Like Cellular?

"The capital expense [for a city-wide mesh network like Philadelphia] is a drop in the bucket compared to the opex that's going to create," according to Jerry Dix, chairman and CEO of 5G Wireless Communications Inc. , which supplies "cellular-style" WiFi for outdoor and indoor networks. The problem with municipal mesh networks is that WiFi is a line-of-sight system originally designed for short-range, indoor networks. The addition of mesh nodes, which can transmit and receive signals from nearby nodes rather than being connected directly back to the primary signal source, allows WiFi to be extended to widespread coverage areas -- but only at the expense of dozens of access points per square mile. "What most people don't realize in installing these networks is that the cost of the hardware is insignificant compared to the operating expense, which is directly related to the number of nodes on the network," Weisman points out. "They do maybe 36 per square mile. We're doing seven per square mile."