New Research Report Identifies Surge of Enthusiasm for Metro-Scale Wireless MeshPRNewswire Municipal networks, wireless DSL, and mobile VOIP applications are driving a resurgence of wireless mesh technology as a way to provide low-cost broadband access services, finds a new report from the subscription research service Unstrung Insider (http://www.unstrung.com/insider). The report, entitled Wireless Mesh: From Enterprise to Metro, analyzes mesh architectures for outdoor citywide and neighborhood-scale networks, with analysis of the startup and major-name vendors at the forefront of infrastructure-grade wireless mesh systems. According to the report, which compares data on 27 separate wireless mesh products -- including U.S. list pricing and street prices -- the infrastructure mesh market is poised for substantial growth as equipment starts to mature and municipalities step in as "anchor tenants" to drive the business case. However, it's not all upside in the wireless mesh story: While there is a lot of interest, wireless ISPs and other network operators interviewed for the report consistently stress the need to set realistic performance and coverage expectations for these networks. "Wireless LAN technology is optimized for local area networks," says Unstrung Insider Chief Analyst Gabriel Brown. "Scaling up to the metro level can work, but most deployments today are focused on low-cost 'good-enough-to-get-by' coverage; blanket coverage across entire cities isn't yet realistic." Among the report's key findings:
-- The average list price of 27 mesh nodes surveyed in the report is
$3,750, with an average price per radio of $1,500.
-- Expect vendors to attack this market with aggressive pricing in 2006;
low cost two-radio nodes will be the real battleground.
-- A $1,000 two-radio mesh node is a possibility in 2006, as forward
pricing, unit volumes, and large municipal contracts kick in.
Wireless mesh vendors featured in this report are: BelAir Networks Inc.; Cisco Systems Inc.; Firetide Inc.; LocustWorld Ltd.; MeshDynamics Inc.; Motorola Inc.; Nortel Networks Corp.; RoamAD Ltd.; SkyPilot Networks Inc.; Strix Systems Inc.; and Tropos Networks Inc. Wireless Mesh: From Enterprise to Metro is available as part of an annual subscription (12 monthly issues) to Unstrung Insider, priced at $1,350. Individual reports are available for $900. To subscribe, or for more information, please visit: http://www.unstrung.com/insider. To request a free executive summary of the report, or for details on multi-user licensing options, please contact: Jeff Claudino Director of Sales Insider Research Services 619-229-9940 claudino@lightreading.com For review copies, members of the media may contact: Gabriel Brown Chief Analyst Insider Research Services 44-20-7701-9330 brown@lightreading.com About Light Reading Light Reading Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CMP Media, is a B-to-B network information provider. Light Reading publishes http://www.lightreading.com/, the leading global content site for the telecom industry; http://www.byteandswitch.com/, a storage networking site; and http://www.unstrung.com/, dedicated to wireless networking. Light Reading is also affiliated with http://www.heavyreading.com/, a market research site for quantitative analysis of telecom technology to carriers, service providers, and vendors. About CMP Media Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands in the technology, healthcare, and lifestyles industries, CMP Media (http://www.cmp.com/) has earned the confidence of more professionals and enthusiasts in these fields than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight, and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in each of these industries in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Media is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion. SOURCE: Unstrung Insider CONTACT: Jeff Claudino, Director of Sales Insider Research Services, Web site: http://www.unstrung.com/insider |