Dayton, Ohio chooses finalist for municipal wireless network

Dayton, Ohio has selected HarborLink Network to negotiate a contract with the city for the deployment and operation of a citywide Wi-Fi network that will cover 55 square miles, the airport and the convention center. The city expects an agreement to be presented to the city council by the end of September 2006.

Podcast: Selino Lo of Ruckus Wireless

Telecommunications reporter Jessie Seyfer sat down recently with Selina Lo, chief executive of Ruckus Wireless, a Sunnyvale company that makes equipment that sends video, audio and text data around homes via WiFi. Ruckus believes it's got a leg up on the other in-home routers because its technology actually finds the best route for data and focuses the stream in that direction, bouncing off walls if necessary. Jessie and Ms. Lo talked about Ruckus and the future of television over the Internet.

Searching for wi-fi in Norwich

Peter Cochrane, British Telecom’s former Chief Technologist, has written a long article on his experiences with the first free municipal Wi-Fi network in the UK — in Norwich (northeastern corner of East Anglia). Despite the $2 million budget allocated to the project, the less than broadband speed is disappointing and the coverage is spotty.

New rules mandate wireless safeguards

The state Assembly on Tuesday approved rules requiring wireless manufacturers, such as laptop makers, to instruct consumers on how to step up security measures and stop would-be piggybackers from accessing their personal networks. The bill, which the governor is expected to sign, would take effect in January.

AT&T, in Shift, Sets Pact For City Wi-Fi Network

The Wall Street Journal reports that AT&T is getting on the MuniFi bandwagon, and will build a wireless network in the city of Springfield, Ill. The company will also include a free tier in the package which involved building and operating the networks. Apparently, the batteries not included. The city will pay for the electricity to keep the network running. This is the second major MuniFi for Ma Bell. Earlier this year, AT&T had teamed up with MetroFi to build and operate a network in Riverside, California.

Atheros Adds Network Processor and Debuts 802.11n Chipset with 2x2 MIMO

Atheros Communications launched its first family of network processors, the AR7100, targeting triple-play wireless APs and routers. Key features of the Atheros network processors include a high-performance MIPS-based processor core; a 33/66 MHz PCI interface; dual Ethernet ports for LAN and WAN connectivity; a high- speed 32-bit DDR memory controller to support high-bandwidth applications; and on-chip cache memory. The NPUs also offer dual USB 2.0 interfaces for wireless network storage and printing; a PCM interface to support analog and VoIP telephony; and an I(2)S interface to support audio streaming through the router.

Motorola Plans WiMAX Chipset Designs

The initial chipset offering from Motorola will focus on core 802.16e mobile WiMAX functionality supporting voice, video and data for low-power mobile applications in handsets and modules. Motorola expects the first chipsets to be commercially available in 2008.

WiFi's High-Speed Compromise

The Wi-Fi Alliance has stepped in to put its official stamp on the high-speed 'pre-n' wireless LAN products now starting to proliferate in the small-office home-office (SOHO) market. The group now plans a two-stage WiFi certification program for products based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) 's multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) specification. The Alliance plans to start certifying products that implement baseline features of the specification in the first half of next year. Phase two will implement the ratified specification, now due around March 2008. The WiFi-ers hope to maintain interoperability between the two phases.

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."

Cisco, HP Ink WiFi Deal

Cisco inked a deal with the global services arm of HP, which plans to incorporate Cisco's WiFi products in voice-over-WLAN, security, guest-access, and other applications in enterprise deployments.

Qwest protest fails to derail Wi-Fi project

The Star Tribune reports that Qwest tried to stop the Minneapolis citywide Wi-Fi project on grounds that the payment to US Internet (the winning bidder) was a public subsidy and that the bidding procedures were unfair.

Peplink's New Wireless Client

PePLink, today announced the commercial launch of PePLink Surf-AP, a $189 device designed to extend Citywide Wi-Fi signals indoors. The single-box solution combines a Wi-Fi Modem, Access Point and Router. It is said to deliver a true wireless user experience with a 200 mW radio, citywide Wi-Fi access, plug-n-play user friendliness and Secure Authentication and Encryption via 802.1x/WEP/WPA/WPA2/802.11i with built-in DHCP Server and NAT Routing.

WiFi security: What new users of free networks need to know

In California, a bill passed the Senate last week that would require WiFi equipment makers to post warning labels to consumers, advising them how to protect their files and prevent others from piggybacking. The bill, introduced by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, will go back to the Assembly for a vote on Senate changes. If the Assembly concurs, the bill will end up on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. The bill is necessary, Nunez spokesman Richard Stapler said, because too many consumers are not putting security measures in place.

Singapore: One nation under Wi-Fi | CNET News.com

By the end of the year, it will be possible to roam almost anywhere in Singapore and get a wireless signal.

Trapeze Networks Secures $30M in New Funds

Juniper Networks is among the financial backers of the wireless LAN company.
The company has already earmarked the funds to support several initiatives - geographic expansion, increased go-to-market channel programs and expanded product development. Trapeze Networks' Trapeze Mobility System is a WLAN mobility solution designed to enable users to roam securely anywhere in a network and over any topology, including corporate headquarters, branch offices, campuses or multi-tenant/multi-use facilities, the company explains. The system gives enterprises a way to make their network wireless without having to make infrastructure investments.

Minneapolis selects US Internet to deploy citywide Wi-Fi network

In a bit of a surprise, US Internet will build and operate the roughly $20 million Minneapolis Wi-Fi network and would offer consumers high-speed Internet service for $20 a month. The city will pay $2.2 million to US Internet for the city government's use of the network and will let US Internet utilize the city's fiber infrastructure. US Internet will provide 95% outdoor and 90% indoor coverage. For customers, US Internet will sell Ruckus Wireless wireless bridges for $75.