eugen leitl eugenleitlorg httpwwwguardiancoukprint02c38582c44899992c00html making mesh move new way give us fast mobile net access spells trouble 3g reports peter rojas peter rojas thursday august 29 2002 guardian imagine able surf net speeds faster dsl anywhere time could watch live video webcast waiting bus email photos friends sitting park download mp3 song thats playing pub finishes vision highspeed wireless internet paradise thirdgeneration 3g mobile phone companies promoting years 3g services beginning rolled new technology called mesh networking promises deliver vision sooner effectively mobile phone companies could ever dream two companies us startup meshnetworks moteran networks germany developing competing version mesh networking instead current hubandspoke model wireless communications every device connecting overburdened central antenna time meshenabled devices mobile phones pdas laptops close proximity automatically create wireless mesh network every device area acts repeater router relaying traffic everyone else traffic hops person person reaches nearest internet access point reducing need central antennas improving wireless coverage number mobile phones soars wireless pdas laptops devices begin crowd spectrum approach wireless networking may inevitable mesh networks also several advantages 3g wireless networks 3g operators roll mobile services offer users connection speeds 144 kbps roughly three times faster dialup modem moteran meshnetworks able offer connection speeds 6mbps hundred times faster dialup technologies use include wifi emerging standard highspeed wireless networking also known 80211b similarly shortrange protocol called ultrawideband poised succeed wifi even faster could 2005 approach 400 mbps range typical wifi network generally limited much use travelling around city mesh networks get around problem coverage every device network relay traffic even though range individual device relatively small theory many users surrounding area connections faster better standard 3g wireless connection mesh networks use wifi equipment infrastructure needed create cheap readily available instead building cellular phone towers often cost hundreds thousands pounds needed get network going wireless access points around 100 placed strategically around town relay traffic proper software existing laptops pdas meshenabled software also means anyone could set mobile phone network unlike 3g cellular part spectrum wifi operates unregulated us britain mobile phone companies none pleased especially since many spent billions pounds acquiring 3g licences thats needed cheap relays mobile phones equipped connect network every additional customer signs coverage gets better instead getting worse case mobile phone networks things get interesting realise highspeed internet connections everywhere everyones laptops pdas mobile phones connected together blazingly fast speeds sharing music movies whatever else becomes ridiculously easy ultrawideband hits accelerate 400mbps copying pirated copy lord rings person sitting across cafe would take 15 seconds sooner later playgrounds filled kids swapping files favourite songs movies video games first mesh networks likely available consumers meshnetworks plans offer highspeed wireless service instead company plans sell technology others cities want provide wireless internet police fire public works employees businesses want establish wireless networks cheap moteran similar aspirations small businesses enterprise networks first place average users may use technology incorporated vehicles enabling motorists access internet high speeds companies see happening soon able wander around town 6mbps connection pocket soon say broadband internet service initially available businesses universities eventually someone see profit bringing mesh networking masses tue 3 sep 2002 080527 0200 cest making mesh move