Foster City in California is offering free wireless Internet connection to its 29,000 residents. The scheme, which the city began implementing in early October, aims to lower costs and improve public services. MetroFi built the network and signed a service level agreement that would allow anyone owning a WiFi-enabled device to use the service. Foster...
A study by ABI Research indicates that the number of WiFi hotspots around the world has risen by 47 percent to 143,700 in 2006. Europe -- home to 57,000 hotspots -- and North America account for 74 percent of the volume but Asia-Pacific is expected to surpass both regions in five years due to its...
This year will see an increase in the number of WiFi hotspots worldwide by 143,700 or about 47 percent, according to a new report by ABI Research. The research firm ascribed the trend to an increasing demand and use of WiFi, particularly in retail establishments and the hotel industry. Nearly three quarters of all hotspots...
VARs could play a big role in convincing businesses to embrace WiFi. To do this, some suggest that resellers adopt the technology themselves. But, according to Foundry Networks product marketing manager Michael Hong, VARs need sufficient know-how and training in providing maintenance and support before they can deploy their own networks. Stephen Dane, director of...
Although considered a technology for the consumer market, 802.11n supports key applications that are useful to enterprises. These include ERP and CRM systems, workgroup computing applications, and various wireless backhaul applications, which need throughputs higher than what the current 802.11 standards can deliver. Such capacity is due to 802.11n's features, particularly multiple-input multiple-output. MIMO improves...
New Orleans will shut down its city-wide WiFi network once EarthLink's system becomes operational either later this year or by early 2007. The current network delivers a speed of 128 Kbps, with equipment supplied by Intel, Tropos Networks, and Pronto Networks to help the city restore its communications infrastructure following the devastation caused by Hurricane...
Azimuth Systems has released a new test suite that could reduce the testing time for WiFi products by two-thirds. WiFi Alliance's Authorized Test Laboratories worldwide will use the AzCert Wi-Fi Certification Test Suite. Azimuth vice president of marketing Jeff Abramowitz estimated that testing will take between four and five hours. Although the laboratories have yet...
A new report by MuniWireless.com indicates that U.S. municipalities will invest over $3 billion in public wireless networks over the next four years. MuniWireless.com founder Esme Vos ascribed the trend to increasing interest among cities and counties to develop their own wireless networks, which are either managed by them alone or in collaboration with a...
Boingo Wireless has partnered with three companies to expand its presence in Asia. The WiFi network aggregator inked roaming agreements with Singapore Telecom, StarHub -- another Singaporean firm -- and Philippine hotspot operator Innove Communications. It also has similar deals in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. Via [networkworld.com]
FON has offered free WiFi routers in San Francisco and plans to do the same in New York later this year. During the "Freedom" events, the Spanish start-up would distribute its La Fonera, a newly-released device that supports 802.11g technology and allows broadband subscribers to share bandwidth with WiFi users. La Fonera complements FON's software...
Intel is banking on WiMax to break its unlucky streak in venturing outside the PC. Both established and young companies are expected to embrace the new technology. WiMax is seen by many as faster than cellular due to its reliance on MIMO. Via [commsdesign.com]
Despite being a small town, Hanna in Alberta, Canada is home to six WiMax towers. The facilities, which comprise Nortel base stations and customer premises gear (or subscriber stations) with radios based on the IEEE 802.16d fixed WiMax standard, were installed by Netago Wireless. The company offers subscribers various data plans, with uplink speeds ranging...
A good reason to secure one's wireless network is performance, according to Yankee Group analyst Tara Howard. But aside from that, there is not much difference between an unsecured and secured network. Nonetheless, some people prefers to have their networks secured and to do so, they should ensure that their firewall is properly working. They...
WLAN vendor Colubris has obtained a further $14 million in venture capital funding. Its investors include Prism VentureWorkds, GrandBanks, Capital, Doll Capital Management, Mid-Atlantic Ventures Funds, Telecommunications Development Fund and Business Development Bank of Canada. Including their previous investments, the companies have entrusted $50 million to Columbris, which provides wireless LAN equipment to carriers and...
Network Chemistry has developed a platform that will render "integrated facility and endpoint wireless security." It has revamped its RFprotect Distributed platform, hardware and software to extend the coverage to all areas that a mobile worker may roam, with the use of a unified control panel with automated policy enforcement capabilities. The reworked RFprotect Distributed...