A 720-square-mile Wi-Fi zone in Michigan will be completed at the end of this year, reports Information Week. Wireless Washtenaw will be one of the largest Wi-Fi networks in the U.S. and is distinguished by the mixing and matching of 802.11b/g in urban Ann Arbor and 802.11a in the 600-square-mile rural area of Washtenaw County.
The 802.11a standard covers distances of 60 feets. The b and g standards use the 2.4-Ghz band and offer an effective rate of 11 Mbps over distances of 300 feet.
The initial 200 users are finding the service equal or superior to DSL and cable, according to Dan Skratek, project manager of Wireless Washtenaw for Ann Arbor ISP 20/20 Communications. “Many of our pilot participants currently have existing cable or DSL Internet service,” said Skratek. “Those having DSL have responded with ‘Better than my DSL connection.’ Those with cable say they really can’t tell the difference.”
Wireless Washtenaw was spearheaded by the deputy administrator of Washtenaw County, David Behen, and a consortium of local stakeholders, universities, and government representatives. The county has a total population of 347,111 people.
Siemens wireless mesh gear was installed by 20/20 Communications. Siemens mesh radios can utilize multiple radios. Siemens also provides the management and maintenance of the network.
Full deployment is scheduled to get under way in March and 20/20 plans to build the network from the outside-in. The entire county is expected to be covered by the end of 2007. Skratek said 20/20 expects the network will utilize 1700 nodes and 2400 radios when it is fully deployed.
Planning to spend up to $26 million on the project, 20/20 noted the service will deliver a mix of free and paid services to subscribers. A free service with speeds of about 84Kbps will be offered primarily in rural areas. Skratek said that speed is typically about four times faster than dial-up speeds available in most of the county’s rural areas.
Higher speeds will be offered to county residents on a sliding scale of plans, generally from $35 to $50 a month depending on the speed and robustness of the service.
Why not WiMax?
“WiMax is in its infancy stage at best,” said Skratek. “WiMax on the public 2.4Ghz and 5.7GHz frequencies is extremely susceptible to interference.” Another reason for choosing Wi-Fi, he added, is that many county residents are already using the technology in their homes and offices.
Clearwire introduced pre-WiMAX service in Seattle last November and has extensive spectrum holdings in Michigan.
