Russia’s Golden Telecom in Moscow claims its network is the second largest in the world, with 6,7000 mesh access nodes covering 800,000 households.
The Golden Wi-Fi Network, in Moscow, has 50,000 registered users. They sign up through the Web site or at 7,000 Moscow retail locations selling scratch cards or via bank machines. Unlimited access is 500 rubles a month ($US 19). Golden’s CEO hopes some 400,000 users will be subscribed by 2010.
Golden Telecom estimates the investment in this project at $10 million. According to Dmitri Bragin, the company expects the project to pay off in about three years’ time.
Nortel’s Wireless Mesh Network solution is used to provide wireless LANs in areas where it is difficult or cost prohibitive to run cables.
Golden Telecom is a leading facilities-based provider of integrated telecommunications and Internet services in major population centers throughout Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (“CIS”).
The Company offers voice and data services in Moscow, Kiev, St. Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Samara, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk, Alma-Ata, and Tashkent, as well as leased channels and fiber-optic and satellite-based networks, including approximately 290 combined access points in Russia and other countries of the CIS. The Company also offers cellular communication services in Kiev and Odessa.
Nortel’s Wireless Mesh solution is also used in Taipei’s Mobile City project (M-City).
Taipei plans to have 10,000 mesh access points installed across 90 percent of its 272 square kilometers to provide seamless, high-speed wireless roaming for residents. Nortel’s Meshed WiFi routers.
Singapore expects to have their 270 square mile city-wide Wi-Fi cloud finished by the end of 2008 and the entire city, indoors and out, blanketed by 2015. It’s managed by Singapore’s Industry Group Infocomm Development Authority. A mix of Wi-Fi and WiMAX is planned, at least in the later stages of the first phase. Firetide is partnering with iCell to build the eastern portion of the island’s nationwide Wi-Fi initiative. Carriers have proposed supplementing Wi-Fi with HSDPA.
The government is subsidizing the first $30 million of the estimated $100 million cost of the network to be built by iCell and two other Internet service providers. The country hopes to add 80,000 information technology jobs through the effort. Another goal is to put computers into 100 percent of homes with school-age children.
Broadband wireless is not a government thing in the United States. Private enterprise in the form of Mobile WiMAX from Sprint and Clearwire will serve metropolitan areas. States and cities provide leadership, not the federal government. Universal service is not a priority.
Sprint claims it will cover some 100 million U.S. citizens with their “4G” mobile WiMax service by the end of 2008. This year Sprint will provide Mobile WiMAX service in Chicago and Washington D.C. Motorola WiMAX gear will be used in Chicago while Samsung Mobile WiMAX gear will be used in Washington D.C..
Clearwire spectrum now covers 205m people in the U.S., according to their SEC filing. Clearwire also owns frequencies in Europe, covering 117m people, and a recent German auction adds coverage of 82.5m more people.
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