* Daytona Beach, Fla., is latest to go with WLAN
For some reason, really warm places like their Wi-Fi. Five months ago I wrote about a wireless LAN setup in the Netherlands Antilles; this week we have wireless technology in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Vivato, Access AnyPlace and Pronto Networks teamed up to create this net. Access AnyPlace is the wireless ISP. Vivato’s base stations and access points make up the hardware in the network. And Pronto provides the operations support system software and controller that manage user access, billing and roaming.
The target area is five square miles of Daytona Beach. There are three Vivato base stations and 10 “microcell” access points.
Access AnyPlace says it chose Vivato’s equipment because it delivers high throughput with a small number of access points. Vivato uses phased-array antennas and a technology that provides up to 12 times the coverage of competing Wi-Fi systems, the company says.
Access AnyPlace chose Pronto’s OSS software because it is scalable and offers users a “superior” experience, Access AnyPlace said in a statement.
The important question, of course, is what is Daytona Beach going to actually do with the wireless net?
Local businesses, residents and tourists will be able to get access. The majority of Daytona Beach’s hotels – 70% – don’t provide Internet access. The hope is that visitors will be able to use the WLAN to get to the Internet from their hotels. Public safety officials will also be able to use the network. The Pronto system will allow these different groups to share the network while having different QoS guarantees and customized service plans.
This effort comes as other public Wi-Fi efforts suffered setbacks – such as Verizon’s recent decision to tear down its wireless connections in New York. But maybe the real problem is that New York isn’t in a warm enough climate.
