[Rooftops] Nortel/MIT/BT testing low cost wireless

[Jim Youll]

LONDON - Nortel Networks is planning trials of a novel public WLAN architecture designed to drive down costs of transporting data between Wi-Fi hotspots and wired broadband networks. The trials are being jointly conducted by U.K. operator British Telecom and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Nortel said the technology would provide broader, more convenient service coverage and minimize the need for expensive backhaul connections like T1 lines. The company estimated the technology could lead to operating cost reductions of up to 70 percent for backhaul and up to 75 percent for installation and commissioning. 

The P-WLAN architecture includes peer-to-peer access point capabilities &3151; with smart antennas, integrated routers and adaptive routing and security capabilities - to backhaul data wirelessly to wired broadband networks. It is the outcome of basic research conducted at Nortel Networks' Wireless Technology Labs in Ottawa into peer-to-peer and "ad-hoc" networking. 

FULL STORY:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20031029S0012