By tapping an emerging technology known as wireless mesh networking and adding innovative operational and management capabilities, Cisco said cities and towns can now offer an affordable method for providing free, public Internet access.

The new product, the Cisco Aironet 1500 Series access points, transmit and receive the wireless radio signals for connecting laptops and other mobile computing devices to the Internet or other wired networks.

Unlike typical access points used for "hotspot" wireless connections at coffee shops, airports and other locations, the Aironet 1500 mesh access points can operate without a direct connection to a wired network.

Also called "backhaul," this requirement for a direct connection to a wired network has been the limiting factor for wireless deployments, especially ones that are outdoors and far from the nearest Ethernet cable.

But wireless mesh networks only need one, or at least much fewer, wired connections than standard WiFi systems.

Wireless mesh access points can use their wireless capabilities to transmit backhaul traffic from one access point to another and out to the Internet. In this way, wireless mesh access points operate much like the router nodes of a wired network, with traffic flowing from one access point to another over the most efficient path.

Mesh networks make it much easier for people to "roam," or move, while connected. Each access point can smoothly pick up a connection as a person travels out of range of one access point and into the range of another one.

Thanks to this capability, mesh technology extends WiFi service from "spot" coverage to "blanket" coverage, making it possible for users to remain connected while traveling through an area as small as a few city blocks to one as large as 50 square miles or more.

Earlier this year Cisco expanded its wireless product line with the acquisition of Airespace Inc., a player in centralized wireless local area network (LAN) equipment, including mesh architecture. By combining Airespace’s technology with Cisco’s wireless products, the company developed its new wireless mesh offering.

Due to their lower costs, wireless mesh networks can answer the growing demands for ubiquitous Internet access and other related digital communications.

Cities can install mesh access points from street lights, power poles, or other public infrastructure in a matter of minutes. The only crucial requirement is a source of power.

And since all the access points "talk" to each other, centralized management is much easier than with previous WiFi technology. If one access point fails, the network continues working just as before, only losing reception around the incapacitated access point. (Melvin)