Comments on: MuniFi, MuniWi or MuniMAX

By: Jesse Kopelman

Jesse Kopelman — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:19:31 +0000

Stu, there is currently no WiMax profile for 700 MHz. There is also no unencumbered spectrum. Both those things may change in 2 years, but at the moment 700 MHz WiMax in the US is vaporware.

By: Stu Browne

Stu Browne — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:56:12 +0000

I'm not so sure that Mesh WIFI pencils out to be competitive to a network of a few WiMax base stations. If you look at network "life cycle" costing, more nodes means higher cost of operations for PM and replacement of failed nodes. 700 mHz WiMax is the solution for Muni's and public saftey comms and for campus wide nets.Intel's pushing WiMax. When mobile 802.16e gets here later this year and with the potential for service in three or four frequency bands, and when all new wireless cards in PV's are WiMax enabled, then it will become truly cost-effective for broadband Muni nets to be deployed.

By: Stu Browne

Stu Browne — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:06:59 +0000

By: Jacomo

Jacomo — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:35:46 +0000

Looks like we will finally see if the 2.5Ghz broadcast WiMAX systems will operate in and penetrate the Canopy of these cities delivering service links to a majority of the market. Will the city also allow a Wireless Mesh (WiFi) provider to deploy a competitive service, or better yet a complimentary services, that will operate under the Canopy and deliver true Broadband WiFi network to standards based handheld (Indoor/Portable and Mobile)devices? These Mesh networks will directly compete with any WiMAX based broadcast network delivering/extending true broadband links via their mesh nodes indoors using some of the new WiFi based on-premise systems from Ruckus. What form of testing did the city do prior to selecting Clearwire? Did they test Line of SIte or non line of site scenarios to premises behind trees? Is their a performance bond involved in this deal, which holds Clearwire to a performance level??

Jacomo

By: Glenn Fleishman

Glenn Fleishman — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:46:28 +0000

Note that Clearwire has also agreed to resell access to its network on a wholesale basis to ISPs, as well as offer its retail service. That's unique as far as I'm aware. That might make it feasible to link a Wi-Fi network or DSL/cable service not run by Clearwire with roaming in a single account.

By: zbEndEr

zbEndEr — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:36:37 +0000

Sydney, Australia is supposedly going to get free MuniFi, funded by my taxes to the New South Wales government!

Ref: http://www.gcio.nsw.gov.au/pages.asp?CAT=806&ID=2676