Wi-Mesh to compete with WiMax

Wi-Mesh to compete with WiMax

While Intel and many other tech giants are working hard to push WiMax as the standard for next generation wireless connectivity, there are other technologies available with the ability to do the same. Nortel is for one, which has collaborated with a handful of partners to push a new wireless local area network technology called Wi-Mesh. The aim is to extend the ability of the today’s Wi-Fi networks to be able to serve a much larger area.

These companies have formed a group called Wi-Mesh Alliance and they aim to develop standards for this “mesh” of wireless networks. They have submitted their suggestions for considerations to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) task group. Nortel claims that their technology can increase wireless coverage in large areas without the need for multiple wires to connect the wireless access points to the central servers.

This kind of wireless network can service areas like cities, university campuses, shopping malls, and airports not possible with current generation of wireless technologies. Wi-Fi requires its own wired connection to the core network in its current form, which limits the availability of the connectivity in a limited area. When a mesh is formed containing several multiple access points, a single networked connection can be used to power all of them.