Scientific Atlanta and Tropos Networks Team to bring Metro-Scale Wi-Fi to Cable Networks Worldwide
Scientific-Atlanta, a leading supplier of digital content contribution and distribution systems,
will expand its hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) solutions for cable operators to include wireless technology
by adding Tropos™ Networks' MetroMesh™ Wi-Fi products to its HFC portfolio. Under the terms of the
agreement
the companies will collaborate on both strand-mounting, coaxial powering options and fiber
converters for the Tropos 5210 MetroMesh routers. These cable-optimized products will be sold through
Scientific-Atlanta, enabling cable operators to integrate Tropos' MetroMesh functionality into HFC systems,
thereby providing cable customers with broadband mobility.
Ian McPherson, President of Wireless Data Research Group, offers his opinion of
the deal in a recent article
in Telecommunications Magazine: "Just the prospect of having your home connectivity service
available throughout your metropolitan area has a high degree of value," said McPherson, predicting
"better performance sooner from the Tropos-type of Wi-Fi network than EV-DO promises from Verizon …
just because of the capital expense, the cost of deployment."
HP Helps Cities Reap Benefits of Wireless Broadband
HP announced that the cities of Franklin, Tenn., and St. Cloud, Fla., have selected HP technology,
including Tropos MetroMesh, as the basis for their municipal wireless broadband systems.
The HP Metro-scale Wi-Fi solution
enables the cities to take advantage of the simplest, fastest,
most cost-effective way to increase broadband availability for their citizens while also creating and
improving public services.
Read the full story about HP's deployments and future metro-scale Wi-Fi plans in
this article from Wi-Fi Planet.
Intel, MCI, SkyTel and US Wireless use MetroMesh in Assisting Gulf Coast to Re-establish Communications Networks in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina
Tropos Networks, working in partnership with Intel, MCI and SkyTel,
as well as US Wireless,
is donating equipment, personnel and expertise to help rebuild the Gulf Coast communications
infrastructure. This team has deployed more than 13 MetroMesh networks in three states in less than three weeks.
These networks are serving users such the City of New Orleans, FEMA, the Red Cross, insurance adjusters, and
individual businesses in cities such as New Orleans, Shreveport, Houston, Slidell, Thibodeaux and Baton Rouge.
Applications running on the MetroMesh networks include video surveillance, rescue coordination, evacuee registration,
VoWiFi, business relocation services, housing searches, on-line banking and business Internet access. While we are
limited in our power to address the loss of life and home, we are fully committed to helping restore communications
systems.
In this time of national need, it is imperative that we all do our part to assist Gulf Coast
residents in dire need of assistance. Please join us in helping those affected by this great tragedy.
United States Congress Proffers Telecommunications Act of 2006
The United States House of Representatives recently released a draft bill for
review that looks to set into law the regulatory parameters of broadband delivery.
The House Bill aspires to stimulate broadband delivery in the U.S., which in recent
years has fallen from fourth to sixteenth in world rankings regarding broadband penetration.
While the bill offers municipalities flexibility in achieving their broadband availability goals,
including city-owned networks, it should elicit debate surrounding its position on such emerging and
nascent technologies as wVoIP and e911 services.
ZDNet has posted an in-depth summary of
the bill's proposed provisions,
or you can download the complete proposal
(Adobe PDF) to make your own assessment.
Wireless Networking Veteran Saar Gillai Joins Tropos Executive Team
Tropos announced the addition of
Saar Gillai to its world-class executive management team. Mr. Gillai will serve as Tropos Networks'
Vice President of Engineering. Mr. Gillai will be responsible for the continued development of the
Tropos MetroMesh router and network management product line, reinforcing and extending the company's
market and technology leadership.
Mr. Gillai brings more than 20 years of engineering and management experience to Tropos Networks.
Most recently, Mr. Gillai was Vice President of Engineering for the Wireless Networking Business
Unit of Cisco Systems, where over the past four years he played a key role in building Cisco's
enterprise WLAN product line to the number one position in the market, having developed and shipped
more than $1.5 billion in products during his tenure. In addition, Mr. Gillai was instrumental in the
company's WLAN acquisition and integration strategy, most recently playing a key role in the acquisition,
and integration of WLAN equipment provider Airespace. During his tenure with Cisco, Mr. Gillai also held
key management positions in product development for the Desktop Switching Business Unit and the Multi
Service Switching Business Unit, where he worked closely with major service providers on next generation
network architectures.
Siemens Venture Capital Makes Strategic Investment in Tropos Networks
Siemens Venture Capital, a subsidiary of Siemens AG, has made a strategic investment in Tropos.
In this context, the Siemens Communications Group will evaluate Tropos MetroMesh systems for use in
new geographic and vertical markets.
Christoph Caselitz, President of Mobile Networks at Siemens Communications, said,
"Mesh techniques represent the next logical step in development for Wi-Fi radio networks,
as can now be found in ever more offices, homes and public buildings. Here we see a lucrative market
for service providers and mobile operators."
Read more about the Tropos/Siemens relationship here
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