[opendtv] Re: WiFi Supplanting Broadcasting? Get Real!
- From: "Kon Wilms" <kon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 22:51:04 -0700
>>Well the one I am talking about could be the backhaul for a Wi-Fi
metro-spot if that is what they call it. One friend wants to use it to
backhaul from APs on 600 buildings in Manhattan so I think my point is
on target. I am not arguing that Wi-Fi by itself can supplant cable and
satellite. But wireless can.
Backhaul is backhaul. So your meshnet MAN is really A/B/G APs @ 1~25Mbits
tops, hooked to maybe WiMAX or microwave P2P, and then into some GigE wired
backbone -- not WiFi @ GigE.
Nothing special there though, since TMobile and others are/have been
thinking about migrating to 802.16a WiMAX from their costly T1 backhauls.
But that's 120Mbits max and usually realistically around the 45Mbit range. A
WiMAX ISP AP 'in a box' generally costs around 15k, and if you're meshing
these, it can get costly.
Plus, WiMAX doesn't scale beyond a few hundred simultaneous connections, if
even that.
WiFi still a replacement for broadcast, huh? Methinks not -- unless you
populate the hell out of every square foot of building space with APs and do
some inventive frequency mapping / inter-floor-shielding and hard-wiring
between segments to stop them squelching each other.
Also I'm confused - broadcast is wireless. :)
There are indeed good uses for WiFi related to broadcast, and I'm not
against it at all. A lot of places have put it to good use for small areas
to replace low-power stations. No license needed, and one can multicast
audio and video streams in the pipe. Seattle wireless, people in SD, LA,
Boston, and SF are putting this to good use where there are concentrations
of folks sharing an interest in a area suitable for coverage, such as those
where boosted APs are not really needed - apartment complexes, downtown
environments, or LOS meshnets funded by volounteers. But this is still a
geek thing, unfortunately.
However, there is always those who ruin the party, i.e. those from Intel et
al who do marketing speak just to hype the impossible, while stepping on
broadcasting like its going away tomorrow. These folks need to get a clue or
just plain STFU.
Cheers
Kon
>>A multiGbps meshnet MAN will be in place by the end of the year in
>>
>>
>Manhattan. I don't think it will be cost prohibited.
>
>Towerstream, Invision, and others in that area are/have implemented MAN
>point2point fixed wireless meshes. But none of these are using WiFi, and
>that's what is under discussion in this thread -- so your point is moot.
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