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VERGE
WIRELESS NETWORKS TO DEPLOY METRO-SCALE Wi-Fi USING TROPOS
NETWORK'S MESH TECHNOLOGY IN DOWNTOWN BATON ROUGE, LA. |
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, September
10, 2003
Verge Wireless Networks, Inc. a division of Camsoft
Data Systems, Inc., today announced that it has selected Tropos
Networks, Inc ’s cellular Wi-Fi equipment to form the
first seamless hot zone over downtown Baton Rouge. By creating
the city’s first broadband cellular Wi-Fi mesh networking
system in the downtown area, the wireless hot zone will enable
local residents, tourists, business, and government to access
the Internet and secured corporate networks from anywhere downtown.
The only user requirement is a standard Wi-Fi network connection
in their laptop or PDA.
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“Our goal is to make the central business
district completely wireless with free access to the public
as well as a pay as you go services, such as secured VPN access
for our private business, legal, and government customers,”
said Carlo MacDonald, president of Verge Wireless. “In
addition to local access, customers of national Wi-Fi networks
such as Boingo will eventually be able to roam on our system
utilizing their same user name and password.” |
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“The deployment of Tropos cellular
Wi-Fi equipment in the downtown Baton Rouge hot zone demonstrates
that people, businesses and government agencies want and need
reliable, metro-scale Wi-Fi coverage areas,” said Bert
Williams, vice president of marketing at Tropos Networks. “Our
technology enables a hot zone that truly supports how people
work and play rather than confining them to limited, coffee
shop hot spots.” |
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Current Wi-Fi solutions require a wired backhaul,
such as a T-1 line at each access point. With the Tropos mesh
system, Wi-Fi cells require limited wired connectivity because
they communicate wirelessly with each other while providing
Wi-Fi coverage for clients. This allows Verge Wireless to build
a scalable, metro-wide, non-line-of-sight network that can easily
be expanded by adding Wi-Fi cells. The first phase of the deployment
in Baton Rouge will be completed in September and the second
by the end of the year. At that time, Verge will evaluate what
additional areas of coverage may be needed. |
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“As our network grows downtown and
in other areas in the state, all we have to do is add more Wi-Fi
cells and they instantly begin communicating with each other,
extending our range,” said MacDonald. “We have been
testing the Tropos product for a year and believe that “mesh”
networking is the only way to build large scale Wi-Fi networks.
Other vendor’s products require line-of-sight or backhaul
that just makes them too expensive to deploy in this type of
environment.” |
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Local law enforcement and other public safety
departments will be able to roam between the Wi-Fi network and
the much slower networks currently in use, enabling them to
slowly migrate applications to the faster network. |
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“We believe mesh technology will be
the future of wireless networking. The wireless networking industry
is changing every day. This industry is in the early stages
of development very similar to cell phones in the 70’s.
Just as we poked fun at the guy with the large cell phone back
then, it will take a while for all of us to understand how to
use this technology in our every day life,” said MacDonald.
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“Wi-Fi cell technology will enable
Verge Wireless to bring applications and services to our customers
not currently available on today’s wireless and wired
networks. By using cutting edge technology from companies such
as Tropos Networks, Verge Wireless will be bringing a wireless
hot zone to a city near you,” MacDonald concluded. |
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About Verge Wireless Networks, Inc.
Verge Wireless Networks, Inc. a leader in the development of
802.11 services is poised to become a leading network provider
for mobile business communications in Gulf South. Verge Wireless’s
easy-to-use and affordable enhancements unleash the mobile potential
of devices such as laptops and PDAs, and the everyday functionality
of e-mail, intranets and the Internet. By providing dedicated
mobile broadband access across the entire city, Verge Wireless
wants to significantly extend the function of these mobile devices
for individuals who need or want access to the Internet, their
corporate networks, e-mail or video-conferencing. For more information,
please visit www.vergewireless.com,
call 225-291-9887 or write to info@vergewireless.com.
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About Tropos Networks, Inc.
Tropos Networks, Inc. is a leading supplier of systems used
to build metro-scale Wi-Fi networks. Tropos’ products
enable network operators, service providers and government departments
to provide ubiquitous, metro-scale, broadband, wireless data
coverage for users in any locale. Tropos’ solution creates
a truly wireless network, free from the requirement of per node
wired connectivity associated with Wi-Fi hot spot deployments
using access points. Tropos’ products enable larger coverage
areas, decreased installation costs and decreased operational
costs. Formerly FHP Wireless, Inc., Tropos is headquartered
in San Mateo, California. For more information, please visit
www.tropos.com, call 650-
286-4250 or write to info@tropos.com.
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