The Meraki solution would only be suitable for personal use and small businesses. So the idea would be to connect apartments, a group of houses close together, maybe even a village with houses within the 250m radius reach.

So I would see it as more an option to complement the WiMAX.

———————————————-
Grassroots Wi-Fi Movement Spreads Around San Francisco
KGO By David Louie

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2007 (KGO) – A grassroots movement is taking hold in San Francisco to do what the city hasn’t been able to do – provide free Wi-Fi internet connections to entire neighborhoods.

Computer artist Jeannene Hansen spends hours each day online. At her window, there’s a transmitter, and second one is mounted at the roofline.

They’re transmitting her internet signal for free, over a space the size of a football field. There are 1500 more people just like her, blanketing the internet over the Mission, Haight and Castro neighborhoods.

They’re doing what San Francisco has been promising to do, but hasn’t.

Jeannene Hansen, Computer Artist: “There’s a real grassroots of let’s all pull together. There’s lots of little things like that in the city where people are happy to get their shovels and start digging to make it happen.”

Green markers on their website show where the network is operating, and it’s growing.

In May, 2500 people were getting free Wi-Fi. The number has almost tripled to 7,000 users in just three months.

San Francisco is still struggling to get its long-promised network approved.

Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor: “In the absence of board taking action, just moving this thing forward, people are going to do what they have to do, and so we’re waiting. We’re hopeful to get this deal done, and if we don’t, we’ll work around it.”

Jeannene Hansen: “I love you, Gavin, I really do. But, no, I think it’s just kind of proof of pudding. Look, we did it…and simple.”

The ad-hoc Wi-Fi network called Meraki is supported by advertising and the help of neighbors, who share their bandwidth.

Sanjit Biswas, Meraki, Chief Executive Officer: “I think this really proves the grassroots model can work. That was something the world hadn’t really seen before, and our technology made it possible. So what we’re hoping is that this will convince more people they can take matters into their own hands and just deploy a network in their community.”

Meraki projects it will have 15,000 users by the end of the year.

Meraki’s goal is to wire up the entire city of San Francisco. Even with its early success, the process may take a few months to accomplish.

The Meraki solution would only be suitable for personal use and small businesses. So the idea would be to connect apartments, a group of houses close together, maybe even a village with houses within the 250m radius reach.

So I would see it as more an option to the WiMAX.

———————————————-
Grassroots Wi-Fi Movement Spreads Around San Francisco
KGO By David Louie

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2007 (KGO) – A grassroots movement is taking hold in San Francisco to do what the city hasn’t been able to do – provide free Wi-Fi internet connections to entire neighborhoods.

Computer artist Jeannene Hansen spends hours each day online. At her window, there’s a transmitter, and second one is mounted at the roofline.

They’re transmitting her internet signal for free, over a space the size of a football field. There are 1500 more people just like her, blanketing the internet over the Mission, Haight and Castro neighborhoods.

They’re doing what San Francisco has been promising to do, but hasn’t.

Jeannene Hansen, Computer Artist: “There’s a real grassroots of let’s all pull together. There’s lots of little things like that in the city where people are happy to get their shovels and start digging to make it happen.”

Green markers on their website show where the network is operating, and it’s growing.

In May, 2500 people were getting free Wi-Fi. The number has almost tripled to 7,000 users in just three months.

San Francisco is still struggling to get its long-promised network approved.

Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor: “In the absence of board taking action, just moving this thing forward, people are going to do what they have to do, and so we’re waiting. We’re hopeful to get this deal done, and if we don’t, we’ll work around it.”

Jeannene Hansen: “I love you, Gavin, I really do. But, no, I think it’s just kind of proof of pudding. Look, we did it…and simple.”

The ad-hoc Wi-Fi network called Meraki is supported by advertising and the help of neighbors, who share their bandwidth.

Sanjit Biswas, Meraki, Chief Executive Officer: “I think this really proves the grassroots model can work. That was something the world hadn’t really seen before, and our technology made it possible. So what we’re hoping is that this will convince more people they can take matters into their own hands and just deploy a network in their community.”

Meraki projects it will have 15,000 users by the end of the year.

Meraki’s goal is to wire up the entire city of San Francisco. Even with its early success, the process may take a few months to accomplish.

We have already deployed 20 units as test and research units to various businesses and residential properties around Port Vila and rural efate , for the last 7 months. The feedback was a big thumbs up the WiMAX. Our new shipments have arrived and we are in the process of installing the new units before we launch service to the wider population.

- http://meraki.com/
- http://meraki.com/solutions/casestudy/viu/
- http://www.hubbert.org/2007/04/meraki-airmagnet-stats.html

I’m seriously considering investing in the Meraki equipment as a WLAN for my Digital Posters service.