07:25 ET Start up company says they've found a cheap way to broadband : The New York Times reports that privately-held Etherlinx has taken the 802.11b wireless data standard and used it to build a system that can transmit Internet data up to 20 miles at high speeds, enough to blanket entire urban regions and make cable or DSL connections obsolete.
Do you have a link? Does it need to be in the line of sight, like current fixed-point wireless systems? Or is it like the indoor wireless networking (which I think it's based on, yes?)?
Isn't it the same thing as current fixed-point wireless? That's been around for several years now, but for some reason it hasn't really caught on, probably because you need to have a clear line of sight between you and the ISP, otherwise it won't work. It started with Israeli tanks using it as a secure communication and computer link. Suffice to say, it wouldn't work in places like NYC unless each building had an antenna on top that residents could tap into. Normally with FPW you get your own antenna and stick it on the roof aimed at your ISP, like it was a satellite dish.
This sounds cool but there was something even cooler than 802.11b mentioned in Red Herring (current edition). It is a technology used right now by the military on the field and it is really cheap. Check out the article.
There is something called Ultra-Wide Radio Broadband, which should be even better than Wi-Fi. I personally do not get myself excited about these things anymore. Still too much hype. You keep hearing about it all the time and nothing happens. I will believe it when it's really here. Some small company came up with an excellent solution for whatever. I don't know how many times I have read story like that.
Cesko, yes that's what the technology outlined in that article is. I couldn't remember the name. There apparently a small company who is fighting tooth and nail to get approval to implement it. For some reason the powers that be are doing all they can to stop it. It is an interesting read but I agree with you, there are a tonne of these 'new' technologies and there is no telling which will come out on top.