A small US startup has announced technology for running Wi-Fi routers in remote places using only the power of the sun.

The issue of power has always been a problem for wireless technology. Even though the signal can, in theory, go anywhere, in practice the lack of available - or affordable - power can often stymie installation. Solis Energy's new products suggest this limitation could soon be a thing of the past.

More here: »www.computerworld.com.au/index.p···6;fpid;1

Scientific American is the latest to profile Meraki, a Mountain View, California, startup that says they plan to cure the infamous last mile dilemma on the cheap with Wi-Fi hardware and software based on MIT’s Roofnet project.

From BBR's front page: »Meraki: A Cheap Last Mile Solution

Meraki Networks, a startup funded by Google and Sequoia Capital, today announced a $99 solar-powered wireless router/repeater that can create a mesh network with other similar routers. (The $99 is only for the weatherproof router. The solar panel has not yet been priced. Both should be available by August).

Seen here: »blogs.business2.com/business2blo···duc.html

Local Wisp got fined by FCC for using non authorized channels:



»www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003···A1.html

PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) - Bob Jones has a lofty idea for improving communications around the world: Strategically float robotic airships above the Earth as an alternative to unsightly telecom towers on the ground and expensive satellites in space.

Jones, a former NASA manager, envisions a fleet of unmanned "Stratellites" hovering in the atmosphere and blanketing large swaths of territory with wireless access for high-speed data and voice communications.
»apnews.myway.com//article/200608···9G0.html

Seen here: »www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireles···bol.html

»www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20040123S0070

With a freshly updated 802.16a standard in hand, vendors from the WiMAX Forum laid out an ambitious road map last week for delivering merchant chip sets for the first interoperable broadband wireless systems by the end of the year. But the forum's vision of a booming market for high-bandwidth, low-cost systems faces huge design, testing, regulatory and market hurdles.

To overcome them, the group of 68 mostly small OEMs will have to transform this relatively small, fragmented and proprietary sector into one that could compete against digital subscriber line, cable and third-generation cellular in a spate of applications.

We've been hearing a lot about WiMAX, 802.16 and how it will affect WISPs starting this year. Here's another good article that specifically mentions WISPs and WiMAX:

»www.redherring.com/article.aspx?···s%20hope

»www.commsdesign.com/design_corne···7500156

The emergence of the 802.16 protocol has brought new life into the delivery of data services over fixed broadband wireless links. This two-part tutorial takes a walk thorough the key technical elements that will make WiMAX systems come to life.

»www.shorecliffcommunications.com···ews=2927

»www.boston.com/business/technolo···rvices/

Home phone, work phone, cellphone, voice mailboxes, e-mail, and instant messaging all interconnected in a "communications command center" that once would have been imagined only on the bridge of Star Trek's USS Enterprise.

From Wi-Fi Planet: "It's become a familiar story in the past few months: Municipal authorities roll out Wi-Fi connectivity downtown in more or less limited ways, in an effort to test the technology and perhaps offer a new amenity to local businesses."

It might be a good idea to look into partnering with local governments!

»www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/arti···/3295951

»www.shareholder.com/pctel/Releas···D=125580

»www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20031222S0004

The staunch proprietary position on what China calls its Wired Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI)-implemented on Dec. 1 as part of the nation's GB 15629.11-2003 Wi-Fi standard-caught the wireless-LAN industry off-guard. The ruling means that any Wi-Fi chip or system imported into China or manufactured there for domestic use must employ the WAPI encryption scheme, which is incompatible with IEEE 802.11. Charges of protectionism and license gouging are flying, along with complaints that a China-only standard will raise equipment costs. Some fear that China will push WAPI as a global standard and thereby fracture the whole WLAN industry.

From Wi-Fi Networking News: "A handful of small companies are delivering wireless broadband access to residents and businesses in and around Seattle: Most of the companies use Wi-Fi to serve customers as far as five miles from an antenna and they’re charging around $30 a month for a 1.5 Mbps service. These small operators are welcomed with open arms especially by residents who aren’t served by any other type of broadband access.

»heraldnet.com/Stories/04/1/5/17963842.cfm

»motorola.canopywireless.com/pres···403.php

Motorola has signed a large Canopy Wireless distribution agreement with CellStar. Their primary target is the rural Telco market, where many WISP's have already setup shop providing a service unavailable from the Telco. CellStar plans a focused penetration effort and are labeling it as a wireless extension of DSL service. Rural WISP's may soon find themselves competing with the local ILEC, who will be using the same gear they have already deployed. How will the current WISP fare against a Telco with pockets deep enough to give away the gear to gain the customer? Not only will they have to fight new interference, they may soon find themselves competing on price against the company they are buying Internet Access from.

»story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s···6401446

"Motia, meanwhile, launched Javelin, a next-generation wireless antenna that promises to extend the range of wireless networks by up to four times. The multi-element Javelin antenna improves reception by combining the signals received by each element, said Motia executives, then adjusting the antenna's characteristics to better account for on-the-move users. Javelin is 802.11b/g compliant, reduces dead spots, suppresses interfering signals, and when used on both ends of the link, can boost range up to four times the typical."

»gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/24141-1.html

»www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1103/111003nj1.htm

-m-

BEFORE you read this link, put away your religious ideas concerning Linux, BSD, MacOS, IOS, Microsoft, or whatever your favorite poison happens to be... AFTER you've done that, read the whole article and think about the implications. THEN wait, calm down, and post a considered comment, not some diatribe about OS bashing or additional OS bashing...

»technologyreports.net/securityin···ID=2042

Thanks.
-m-