The Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force, has chosen Silicon Valley Metro Connect, a collaboration among Azulstar Networks, Cisco Systems, IBM, and Seakay, to build and operate Silicon Valley’s huge regional wireless network that will serve 2.4 million people.
The open wireless network will offer universal broadband wireless Internet access to all Silicon Valley residents, employees and visitors spanning 42 municipalities and nearly 1,500 square miles.
Established in 1993, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network brought together established and emerging leaders from business, government, academia, labor and the broader community to spotlight issues and work toward innovative solutions.
Silicon Valley Metro Connect will build the network based on Cisco’s mesh wireless infrastructure technology. IBM will provide network design and integration services, as well as technology applications for public agencies and local utilities including intelligent traffic solutions to regulate traffic and reduce congestion and automated wireless utility and traffic metering. Azulstar Networks will act as the network operator for service provisioning of the 802.11b/g base wireless network. SeaKay will work with municipal and public benefit agencies to customize the network to their needs, and will also spearhead outreach and digital inclusion programs to meet the economic development and social benefit objectives of the network.
The three finalists included Cupertino-based MetroFi (pdf), Portland, Ore.-based VeriLAN (pdf) and a consortium of four companies calling itself the Silicon Valley Metro Connect Team (pdf).
Silicon Valley Metro Connect’s privately owned and operated network will be supported by a sponsorship format that ensures a diverse stream of revenues so that the network can weather changes in technology and the economic environment over time.
Silicon Valley Metro Connect will offer up to 1Mb data speed for the free base service with built-in protection of user privacy and will include digital divide programs for economically disadvantaged users. It will also offer premium fee-based services such as wireless Voice Over IP and video streaming.
Beginning in 2007, the Silicon Valley Wireless Network says it will leverage the WiMAX IEEE 802.16 wireless standard for the 2-11 Ghz operating bands, to offer greater throughput for mobile and fixed users and higher quality service for video, voice, and data. Where they’ll get the 2.5 GHz licensed spectrum was not immediately clear.
NY Times says terminal equipment, costing $80 to $120, will be needed to bolster the signal enough to bring it inside homes or offices. The consortium was selected to provide access by the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority (SAMCAT), an agency made up of cities and counties across Silicon Valley.
Related DailyWireless articles include; Wireless Silicon Valley Proposals, Silicon Valley Gets Proposals for Huge Wireless Network, Silicon Valley & New York Clouds, Silicon Valley Cloud, 487 mile Hwy Cloud, Digital City Winners, GoogleFi Test Drive, AT&T + MetroFi, VeriLAN Tests Prototype Outdoor Vivato and First Commercial 802.16a Switched On.
[...] As a Concept City, the Silicon Valley Metro Connect vendor team of IBM, Cisco, Azulstar and SeaKay will deploy a “Phase 0” Proof of Concept Wireless Broadband Network in a 1 square mile area in San Carlos. [...]
Left by dailywireless.org » San Mateo Gets Wireless Silicon Valley on February 9th, 2007