Just one more, on this interesting Katrina wireless stuff

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Gerry Faulhaber <gerry-faulhaber () mchsi com>
Date: October 18, 2005 3:15:02 PM EDT
To: ron.sege () troposnetworks com
Cc: dave () farber net, dpreed () reed com
Subject: Just one more, on this interesting Katrina wireless stuff


Dave [for IP]--

This is great stuff!  Thanks much to David and Ron for supplying this  
very useful information.

Having said which, I have a few questions:

   -are these networks used from trailers/offices or are there  
mobile transceivers being carried by field operatives?  Sounds like  
the former.

   - how much traffic are these networks carrying?  Peak/Off peak?

   -you mention high-power 802.11b/g access points; are these  
operating within FCC power limits?  If not, did you have to get  
special dispensation or did you just do it?  If within power limits,  
how do you get 1000 ft range when most of us would kill for 100 feet  
range?

   -WiMax low or high power?

   -System sounds like an emergency lash-up (which it no doubt is).   
Is it long term stable/maintainable?  Scaleable?  I know you want to  
sell mesh routers, Ron, but give it to us straight.

----- Original Message ----- From: "David Farber" <dave () farber net>
To: <ip () v2 listbox com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2005 12:07 PM
Subject: [IP] reply from Tropos on 1 more on Limits on wireless le  
ave U.S. at risk




_______________ Forward Header _______________
Subject: RE: [IP] more on Limits on wireless leave U.S. at risk
Author: ron.sege () troposnetworks com
Date: 18th October 2005 6:09:16 am

Dave,

Tropos has shipped a couple of hundred of our Tropos 5210 mesh  
routers into
MS and LA in the days following the storm, and had a few hundred  
installed
in the stricken area previously.  These are high-power (36 dBm), high rx
sensitivity (-100 dBm), outdoor-constructed 802.11b/g access points with
embedded mesh routers so they can backhaul wirelessly amongst each  
other to
a source of Internet connectivity. Each has a 1,000 ft plus range to an
outdoor Wi-Fi device, emergency vehicle with external antenna or  
building
with a window-mounted CPE.  So, a couple of hundred nodes represents  
10-15
sq mi or so of contiguous coverage in typical configuration. Every 10  
nodes
or so are fed with a Motorola Canopy "WiMAX" link, typically shot  
from the
roof of an MCI PoP, or from city backhaul locations. These devices,  
at these
densities, are non line of sight so can be installed by city workers  
with
bucket trucks on street lamps, with power taken from street-light photo
cells.  They will self-configure, find their backhaul, optimize  
throughput
and route around problems. They can be battery and solar-powered due to
their low wattage (28 watts or so).

Last I have heard, we were in 25 or so FEMA and Red Cross shelters in  
NO,
Biloxi, Lamar-Dixon and Baton Rouge. We are around the NO airport and  
on a
couple of cruise ships off the gulf that are housing FEMA workers.   
We had
200 nodes previously installed in high-crime areas of NO doing video
surveillance.  As the power has been restored to the street lights,  
these
nodes have come back up on their own and are performing their functions
again.  We are now in the process of expanding that network as a "force
multiplier" for the police. Data applications as well as Vonage  
phones and
Skype are active on the networks.

The CIO of NO is actually in DC today testifying about the benefits  
of Wi-Fi
mesh.

Hope that helps.  You can see more on our technology at www.tropos.com

Ron Sege
President and CEO
Tropos Networks
555 Del Rey Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
www.tropos.com

408-331-6810 office
650-861-7564 cell
617-407-5000 international cell
408-331-6530 fax

The leading supplier of products for building true metro-scale Wi-Fi  
mesh
networks.

-----Original Message-----
From: David P. Reed [mailto:dpreed () reed com]
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 5:09 PM
To: dave () farber net
Cc: Ip Ip; ron.sege () troposnetworks com
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Limits on wireless leave U.S. at risk

Gerry Faulhaber wrote:


> Reed claims firms were offering WiMax and WiFi mesh networks for
> first responders in the wake of Katrina and Rita.  He also mentions
> the role of municipal WiFi in this effort.  Coulda happened, but it
> seems wildly unlikely.  Is there any proof of this?

I'm a bit skeptical about Reed Hundt's broad claims, too.   However, I
do know that Tropos and others who have such technology were attempting
to demonstrate the value of their systems post-Katrina, so there almost
certainly was some deployment, given the value to the companies of the
opportunity to show their stuff.

I've cc'ed Ron Sege of Tropos, who may have more direct knowledge and  
data.


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