The last few years have seen wireless emerge as the preferred technology for
communications the world over. By using wireless solutions as a major component
of their networking strategy, organizations can revolutionize the way they
communicate, helping them cut costs, boost employee productivity, improve
community service and increase public safety. Wireless also provides a quick and
cost-effective solution to deliver the benefits of broadband, especially in
developing countries like India where wired infrastructure is low. While the
demand for outdoor wireless access is on the rise, organizations are also faced
with tight budgets and reduced resources in a globally competitive environment.
This makes it imperative for them to respond with Wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions
that take full advantage of existing tools, knowledge, and network resources to
cost-effectively address ease of deployment and WLAN security issues.
Wireless Mesh Networking (WMN), a new powerful and potentially disruptive
technology aims to address these challenges and extend the range of Wi-Fi
technology including wireless technologies like WiMAX to Ultra-Wideband. Let's
take a closer look at the potential of this technology and what it has to offer.
WMN was developed as a quick way to set-up wireless networks during military
operations. It has grown considerably in popularity because of its advantages in
both metropolitan and rural applications. By 2010, municipal Wi-Fi networks will
cover 126,000 square miles (over 325,000 square km) worldwide, an increase from
about 1,500 square miles in 2005 (3,885 square kilometers), says a new report
from ABI Research. More than one million wireless mesh routers, generating
revenues of over $1.2 bn, will be shipped in 2010 to service those networks, ABI
concludes.
The growth of municipal Wi-Fi is being driven by several trends, including
use of the wireless networks for public safety and increased efficiency. WMN
also provides opportunities to service providers. ISPs view it as an inexpensive
way to compete with incumbent service providers, and to provide broadband access
to underserved areas. Cable companies may also turn to providing municipal Wi-Fi
networks as a way to compete with telcos. Wired service providers look at it as
a way of driving greater revenues from their networks.
The good part is that the solution can be deployed in the city infrastructure
at government and public buildings, along the streets on lamp-post, and at
intersections on traffic signals.
How Does it Work?
Mesh networking is a way to route data, voice and instructions between
nodes. It is a networking technique which allows inexpensive peer network nodes
to supply back haul services to other nodes in the same network. A mesh network
effectively extends a network by sharing access to higher cost network
infrastructure. It differs from other networks in that the component parts can
all connect to each other.
WMN is mesh networking implemented over a Wireless LAN. It relies on the IEEE
802.11 standard for wireless networking and thus is a highly stable technology.
The architecture is decentralized, relatively inexpensive, and very reliable and
resilient, as each node needs to only transmit as far as the next node. Nodes
act as repeaters to transmit data from nearby nodes to peers that are too far
away to reach, resulting in a network that can span large distances, especially
over rough or difficult terrain. If one node drops out of the network, due to
hardware failure or any other reason, its neighbours simply find another route.
Extra capacity can be installed by simply adding more nodes. Mesh networks may
involve either fixed or mobile devices.
The choice of radio technology for wireless mesh networks is crucial. In a
traditional wireless network where laptops connect to a single access point,
each laptop has to share a fixed pool of bandwidth. With mesh technology and
adaptive radio, devices in a mesh network will only connect with other devices
that are in a set range. The advantage is that, like a natural load balancing
system, the more devices the more bandwidth becomes available, provided that the
number of hops in the average communications path is kept low.
Since this wireless Internet infrastructure has the potential to be much
cheaper than the traditional type, many wireless community network groups are
already creating WMNs. In fact, the MIT project developing “hundred dollar
laptops” for under-privileged schools in developing nations plans to use mesh
networking to create a robust and inexpensive infrastructure.
A wireless mesh access point can be easily deployed to provide not only local
network access, but also point-to-point or point to-multipoint backhaul bridging
functionality to connect remote campuses, research field sites, and even
community to provide communitywide information, learning, or research networks.
The technology also allows multiple buildings or remote locations to share a
single high-speed connection to the Internet without cabling or dedicated lines.
A properly designed and configured wireless mesh network provides the
necessary safeguards for data security and in-band radio interference. This is
important for mobile users that require secure remote access over wireless LANs
to connect back to their private data networks. Wireless technology enables
flexible, mobile, and dynamic communications. It provides ease of deployment,
the ability to deploy network devices where running fiber is cost-prohibitive,
and the ability to quickly and easily add networked devices.
In developing countries like India, where broadband has emerged as a key
focus and there is lack of wired infrastructure, wireless mesh networks are an
ideal option. Wireless mesh networks can be used as the last mile access
technology for delivering broadband applications like education, tele-medicine
and even e-governance. Even in the metros and major cities, wireless mesh
clusters can be created in the business districts where there is high data
consumption to deliver high speed data access to enterprises and consumers.
A world class WMN solution enables cost-effective, secure deployment of
enterprise campus to metropolitan-scale outdoor Wi-Fi networks. Standards-based
wireless access takes advantage of the growing popularity of inexpensive Wi-Fi
clients, enabling new service opportunities and applications that improve user
productivity and responsiveness. Further, it compliments existing wireless
technologies such as GSM and WLAN with offices.
Benefits to Service Providers
In a snapshot, a good mesh networking solution can provide great benefits to
service providers. Some of the
benefits that the solution provides are: fast
deployment; flexible architecture; low ownership cost; easy management; high
scalability; peak reliability; and interoperability
Service providers recognize the opportunity to offer new levels of service to
cities and towns, and to reach a broader base of subscribers with enhanced data
services. Indian service providers, primarily ISPs and fixed operators can
leverage this technology to drive ARPU from data services and remain viable in
an extremely competitive telecom market.
Enterprise organizations, hospitals, educational institutions, and
hospitality companies are interested in expanding Internet access beyond
hotspots to enable employees, staff, students, and guests to move freely through
campuses and complexes and stay connected-regardless of location.
WMN can also enable local governments and transportation agencies to enhance
public safety and increase operational efficiency and service delivery.
To sum it up, WMN is a new powerful and potentially disruptive technology to
deliver the benefits of broadband to communities, enterprises, Governments and
end users, and presents a strong revenue opportunity to service providers.
Sudhir Narang
senior VP, Service Provider & Government Business Cisco Systems
India & SAARC
vadmail@cybermedia.co.in
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