Just to further complicate the issue raised.....
Robert X Cringely in his pbs.org column had a very interesting
article about using a stock standard Apple Airport (same as Lucent
Wavelan) with a RadioShack directional aerial to link into a cable
modem some 15 or 20 K away.
We have heard of one set up going point to point 25Km. across the
straights in NZ.
How do the Telstras of the world respond to the challenge of
democratised /ad hoc networks.
>Hi Richard et al,
>This is generating some interesting discussion and thanks for the info
>on the various co-operatives etc. I was interested in the public bubble
>approach rather than the in-building initiatives, such as Cisco's
>Internet Mobile Office etc.
>
>Kevin's/Adam's/Michael's comments on the legislative aspects here and in
>the UK are interesting to compare with Richard's comments on the
>'co-operative' model.
>
>So, if I issue K Class (or some mechanism that establishes a
>'co-operative' or 'internal company' arrangement exists) shares to my
>partners/employees (read...customers), my 802.11b commercial Internet
>access service is legal? ...or will this be seen as an attempt to
>circumvent the intent of the carrier licensing schemes?
>
>Although he has no intention of doing this (AFAIK), I have a colleague
>in Melbourne running 802.11b from his office to home over 740m using an
>omni-directional antenna at the AP that's outside his firewall, although
>the throughput isn't great. Let's say this was a bubble of 1km (500m
>radius). Hypothetically, provided it's OK with his Internet feed
>supplier, can he offer a 'co-operative' service and collect a fee as if
>he was an ISP, without necessarily being one? Would it make a difference
>if the 802.11b access was within the 500m or outside the 500m?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mike Biber
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-link@www.anu.edu.au [mailto:owner-link@www.anu.edu.au] On
>Behalf Of Chirgwin, Richard
>Sent: Wednesday, 29 August 2001 9:03 AM
>To: link@www.anu.edu.au
>Subject: RE: [LINK] 'Parasitic grid' could undermine wireless revenues
>
>Replying to Jan and Mike Biber...
>
>Jan:
>1) it may be becoming popular in the US, but I'd take analyst figures
>with a
>grain of salt, since wireless LANs have been the biggest coming thing
>next
>year for my entire journalistic career (not kidding here: in 1990-ish,
>the
>two companies bending my ear about wireless LANs were Dataplex and NCR).
>
>2) Metricom/Ricochet, one of the big wireless providers in the US just
>went
>bust, but downsides don't appeal to the authors of "this is the coming
>thing" stories! Broadband2Wireless also Chapter 11-ed a little while
>back.
>
>3) Downside to wireless: "war driving", crackers cruising with
>laptops+wireless, looking for networks. Wireless vendors remain behind
>on
>defences, despite repeated promises. Once connected, it's a cinch to
>compromise a legitimate machine and leave it behind the firewall...I
>think
>The Register had some coverage of this.
>
>Mike: I think Adam was referring to the need for a carrier license. He
>>may<
>have been mistaken here, though. The trip-wire to becoming a carrier
>(one of
>them, anyway) is an "external" link greater than 500 metres in length...
>this would make for fun discussion, "but the diameter of the node is
>less
>than 500 metres".
>
>The "carrier" definition may also be sidestepped if the wireless LAN
>were a
>co-operative model: if I am a co-owner of the network, my connection to
>that
>network doesn't constitute an external link.
>
>Anyhow, if we were talking about a broad deployment - say 1000 users -
>the
>carrier license is only ten bucks per user, so it's not completely
>prohibitive.
>
>Richard Chirgwin
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jan Whitaker [mailto:jwhit@PrimeNet.Com]
>Sent: Wednesday, 29 August 2001 6:47
>To: Adam Todd
>Cc: Michael Biber; link@www.anu.edu.au
>Subject: RE: [LINK] 'Parasitic grid' could undermine wireless revenues
>
>
>I'm assuming you guys are talking about large roll out wireless. Does
>anyone have any comment about building LAN wireless in Australia? It's
>evidently rolling out in the US quite successfully.
>
>Jan
>
>At 07:58 PM 28/08/01 +1000, Adam Todd wrote:
>
>>>Apart from this 'free' Internet access there are some ISPs in the US
>>>offering cells of paid Internet access via IEEE802.11b (WiFi). Is the
>>>Link Institute aware of anything happening along these lines (either
>>>'free' or 'for a fee' ISP access) in Oz?
>>
>>Without a carrier licence it's impossible to do unless you want to pay
>>lots of fines.
>>
>>So, in short, no. Telstra was trying wireless in the Sydney CBD in the
>
>>early 90's but it was a total flop. (No surprise there, and it wasn't
>the
>>wireless at fault.)
>>
>>I personally doubt Wireless will come to fruition in Australia without
>a
>>HIGH carrier cost associated with it. The licencing alone of Carrier
>and
>>Spectrum will cause it to not happen.
>>
>>Telstra isn't going to let ANYONE set up something that might allow
>>mobility and communications off their copper network anyway. Thus the
>>price increases in March 2000, July 2000, June 2001, September 2001 and
>1
>>March 2002.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>JLWhitaker Associates
>Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
>jwhit@primenet.com -- http://www.primenet.com/~jwhit/whitentr.htm
-- RegardsPeter Higgs PS Please note the change of contact details below. ______________________________________________________________________________________ This email message is intended only for the addressee(s)and contains information which may be confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended recipient do not read, save, forward, disclose, or copy the contents of this email or attachments. If you received this in error, please delete this material and any copies or links completely and immediately from any computer system and contact the sender on 61 + 2 + 82984140. IPR Systems archives all its corporate email. If your reply to this email contains personal and private communication that should not be archived put "[PERSONAL AND PRIVATE]" at the start of the subject heading. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Peter L. Higgs IPR Systems Pty Limited Intellectual Property Rights eco-Systems phiggs@iprsystems.com http://www.iprsystems.com/ http://odrl.net/ Level 6, 19 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 _______________________________________________ Phone (02)82984140 Fax (02)82984101 Mobile (0413)11 11 88 _______________________________________________
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