Strix Systems, the leader in high-performance wireless mesh networking, announced that Citi WiFi Networks has selected Strix's Access/One Outdoor Wireless System (OWS) to create Florida's first public/private partnership by deploying a citywide wireless mesh network in the city of Dunedin. This robust and highly scalable network will provide wireless broadband Internet access to Dunedin's businesses, city offices, marina, tourists, and 38,000 residents. Already 25 percent complete, the network is expected to spur economic development and reduce the city's fixed costs. Upon completion the city's wireless mesh network will cover 10.4 sq. miles.

"Citi WiFi partnered with Strix because its multi-radio, multi-RF approach to mesh networking is extremely scalable and affordable, it gives us many deployment options, and it will allow us to add more services in the future," said Frank McCarthy, president of Citi WiFi Networks. "We believe that the advantages of Strix's approach boil down to containing the cost per square mile, which allows for cost effective deployment of services and enables us to capture the maximum possible service revenue per square mile. If you want to deploy broadband service now and add IP, multimedia, and VoIP applications in the future, you have to build a network today that can deliver the throughput and low-latency to support such applications tomorrow."

Even before the network became operational, reaction to it was enthusiastic. Hundreds of subscribers signed up for the new service, at no obligation, via a pre-subscription link on Citi WiFi's web site. This helped the company to determine the best locations for installing nodes and test for signal strength outside each residence as the nodes went up. Citi WiFi anticipates a healthy take rate from residences, mobile professionals such as real estate agents, and owners of boats at the local marina, as well as from tourists, since the price for access is less than the price of access at hotels.

The City of Dunedin will use Strix OWS to connect the city's dozen or so buildings for less than the cost of a wired network. The network will also make city inspectors and other mobile employees more productive by enabling them to access the fixed network via VPNs. The water department, the biggest component of the city infrastructure, is considering replacing the city's aging water meters with wireless meters. The Strix OWS will allow Dunedin to backhaul the meters' output to the water department, eliminating the need to read water meters on site.

"Dunedin is an excellent example of how Strix OWS can address the widely varying communications needs of a municipality's constituents," said Jim Mooreland, vice president of worldwide sales at Strix. "Citi WiFi is taking advantage of the power, flexibility, and scalability of our solution to build a wireless mesh network that meets current needs and can keep evolving to meet future needs."

Strix OWS Selected After Extensive Testing

Citi WiFi Networks performed extensive testing on mesh networks from five different vendors before selecting Strix's solution. The company was particularly impressed with the ability of Strix OWS to maintain a high node-to-node throughput and low latency across multiple hops. Other vendor products tested in the same multi-hop configuration could only provide 1 Mbps service and several could provide no bandwidth at all after only three hops, while the Strix OWS maintained high performance levels all the way through. One Mbps capacity is sufficient for email but not for high-bandwidth services such as IPTV and other multimedia applications. Nor is 1 Mbps sufficient to support seamless hand-off for roaming. Strix also offers Citi WiFi a great deal of flexibility with regard to antennas, configuration, and network design, all very important considerations in Dunedin, which has many large mature trees that can obstruct radio signals.

The Dunedin network is unique in that the Strix nodes are installed on utility poles owned by a private power company, Progress Energy. Citi WiFi broke new ground by entering into an agreement with Progress Energy to place nodes on its poles. To date, wireless mesh nodes have been installed on light poles owned by municipalities, which thus have the freedom to place nodes wherever they wish.

"Citi WiFi's ultimate goal is to create ubiquitous Wi-Fi coverage in Pinellas County, where Dunedin is located; all over the Tampa Bay area; and across the State of Florida," said Mike Sheaffer, COO of Citi WiFi Networks. "We're working with several cities in Florida and recently ranked first in West Palm Beach's invitation to negotiate for a wireless mesh network."