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From Hot Spots to Hot Zones

Gabriel Brown, chief analyst for Unstrung Insider, reckons The Cloud will use wireless mesh -- a networking technique that uses cheap peer nodes to supply backhaul to other nodes -- on a case-by-case basis when it can't get cheap wired backhaul or good line-of-sight to fluff up its hotspots into hotzones. "The decision is really driven by the particular application, throughput requirements, and the availability of low cost backhaul, in the neighborhood where they're building out the access network," he says. "But certainly, the whole of London won't be covered by a mesh, and they're going to use a lot of DSL, some WiMax, and whatever else they can get, to connect the outdoor access points."
Unstrung, 2/6/2006

The Cloud Drifts Into Hotzones So many good points made by this little article...1) Hot Zones can be used to extend Hot Spots; 2) Wi Fi Mesh is flexbile technology that can be used when other forms of backhaul are not available; 3) Networking technologies such as fiber, DSL, WiMax, and Wi Fi Mesh are complementary technologies that will be combined to make custom metropolitan broadaband systems; 4) Large cities are more likely to see Hot Zones dotting the metro landscape than they are to see huge, continguous, city-wide clouds.

This article highlights the difference between city networks in the US and in Europe, where campus deployments are more likely than city-wide networks. The article also trumpets the alignment of regional Hot Spot player The Cloud and Wi Fi mesh pioneer and market leader Tropos Networks, and envisions the synergies and expanded service capabilities that will come their way through such an alignment.

The partnership with Tropos will also allow the operator to offer new services like mobile Internet access, wireless VOIP, remote wireless video monitoring, automated meter reading, and public safety applications.

Posted on February 06, 2006 at 05:37 PM

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