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This is the www.victory4wifi.co.uk website, Phill's new internet domain for the wireless content which was on www.phillhills.net until May2006. In April the Devils Dyke Wireless LAN Project (DDWLAN) joined forces with www.Simplywifi.co.uk of Worthing to share resources and allow our wireless users to roam between the two networks. As a result we are now able to offer wireless internet access from a number of hotspot sites in the West Sussex area for as little a £1 per day (or Prepay: £20 per month) which include: Devils Dyke, Fulking Village, Washington Village (A24/A283 area), Findon Village (all areas), Worthing - Railway Station, Teville Road. and Worthing - Luna Italian Restaurant in Montague Place. See the coverage maps links on the left hand side of this page for more information. For those users who don't need the speed our wirelessMAX service offers there is still FREE wireless access to the internet and email from the site but at a standard speed. |
WiFi-based positioning technology developed by Spotigo achieves accuracy of 5m in London
Düsseldorf / London, May 14, 2008
The German software and service provider Spotigo announced that its WiFi-based Positioning Solution (“WiPS”) has set new standards in positioning accuracy. Spotigo developed a beta version of a real-time location tracking application that can be installed on any WiFi-enabled device. It was tested in London and achieved an accuracy of up to 5m in the city center.
"The results are amazing.", states Daniel Prümers, CEO of Spotigo, "You see your exact current location without any support by GPS or GSM. And this calculation is done even faster than by conventional positioning technologies."
Spotigo's WiFi-based positioning technology identifies the user's position on the basis of the received WiFi signal patterns. It is the perfect complement to GPS since it compensates the limitations of satellite-based positioning: Especially in urban areas with high buildings and narrow streets, WiPS usually generates more reliable and more accurate results than GPS. Another important advantage of this new technology is the indoor and 3D functionality.
Since it also works perfectly as a standalone positioning solution, Spotigo's WiPS now makes it possible to offer location-aware content on all mobile devices without GPS module. As a B2B company, Spotigo offers WiPS to companies, municipalities and organizations interested in offering high quality location-based services or location-based advertising.
About Spotigo
Spotigo started operations in the beginning of 2005 and became one of the leading European software- and services companies providing innovative technology to the WiFi and LBS market. Spotigo distributes a WiFi SmartClient, a software solution that enables internet users to find and log on to WiFi hotspots automatically. Another core product is the WiFi-based Positioning Solution (“WiPS”), which works independently from any GPS-hardware or GSM-operators. Furthermore Spotigo manages the largest search-service for WiFi access points with over 250.000 listed hotspots worldwide.
For more information see www.spotigo.com . Contact: Phone: +49 (0) 211 – 416 52 86 or E-Mail: press@spotigo.com
US seek $100 billion for fibre to the home...
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A report published this week by EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association trying to promote higher education in the US, estimates that delivering a 100Mbps broadband connection to homes and businesses in the US using a fibre connection could cost up to $100 billion. That may sound like a large amount of money, but when put next to the £15 billion (approximately $30 billion at current exchange rates) estimated to fibre up the UK, it's comparatively a bargain.
Deploying fibre to the home (FTTH) to over 300 million people will be no easy task, particularly with the size of the country in hand. It is thus surprising that the cost per person in the UK ($500) is that much higher than the cost per person in the US ($333).
It is a pleasure to see the report is mindful of the future, considering what applications may be available today, but not forgetting that in 10 years things could be very different and much more bandwidth intensive. Currently, television is broaching on high definition (HDTV) with some content broadcast in this format. The future holds even higher resolution television such as Super Hi-Vision, being developed in Japan, which gives a pixel resolution of 7680 x 4320 (compared with the common 1280x720 for 720p/i), and comes in at 24Gbps uncompressed. Networks built now need to plan for the future when technology like this will be available to the masses rather than at the current, experimental stage.
100Mbps over a FTTH technology is just the beginning. The fibre being used can handle much faster speeds, and in the future, by upgrading the hardware at either end, could allow for necessary upgrades. This is where existing stop-gap technologies such as ADSL2+ being deployed here in the UK as part of BT's 21CN start to run into issues. The copper cable phone line being used are close to the limits of the bandwidth you can actually use them for at the distances being used. It is more cost efficient in the long term to deploy fibre sooner rather than investing in temporary technology. The problem is convincing the people who need to put forward the money.
For this, the report proposes the creation of a federal fund to put up money that would be matched by funds from individual states, the public and/or the private sector to pay for the costs. Spreading the burden of the cost is a wise plan, but the current US market, without a requirement for unbundling could see the creation of a monopoly on the network if regulation isn't imposed and private sector backing is solely employed. Whether this government aided approach would work in the UK is unknown. Previous public-private partnerships have been faced with a lot of opposition.
Unfortunately for the US, the Bush administration does not believe it should be intervening in pushing the market towards any particular technology, and this will no doubt mean that they won't be stumping up the cash to help get new networks deployed. Their view is in fact quite the opposite. Withdraw regulation that requires unbundling as they believe this is more likely to encourage local operators to upgrade their networks. This leaves little hope for a wide-spread FTTH roll-out within the US any time soon.
This is perhaps one aspect where the UK has been lucky. Stephen Timms has done a sterling job at promoting the need for high-speed broadband, and encouraging industry to work toward a solution, and we only hope his successor will strive to keep up his good work.
More details from the EDUCAUSE report, and about the US government's view can be read at arstechnica.com
BT bets its future on broadband 20 times faster than now ...
BT is boosting Britain's attempt to remain at the top of the global broadband market with plans to install a network at Ebbsfleet in Kent that offers speeds 20 times faster than the average UK household connection. The company hopes its deployment of the UK's fastest ever residential network, at the development of 10,000 new homes, will be a crucial testbed as the government, regulator Ofcom and industry come to decide how to upgrade the country's broadband network.
From August, BT's Openreach unit will start installing super fast fibre connections rather than traditional copper phone lines at the Ebbsfleet site, owned by Land Securities. It will offer the lines to BT Retail and rival ISPs and media companies such as Carphone Warehouse's TalkTalk and BSkyB, on a wholesale basis, enabling these companies to provide a host of bandwidth-hungry services such as high definition TV and film downloads.
"Openreach will provide the basic infrastructure and service providers will have the opportunity to build their own services on the back of it," explained head of Openreach Steve Robertson.
In any discussion of ultra-fast broadband, South Korea and Japan always loom large. South Korea has an estimated 90% of its population plugged into broadband with the average advertised speed, according to the OECD, at 43MB a second. In Japan - where take-up ranks alongside the UK's at about half the population - the average advertised connection is 90MB. Japan's largest communications company, NTT, plans to have fibre-optic networks plugged into 95% of homes by 2010. . Continued Here...
Schoolchildren in 174 primary schools in East Sussex are to reap the benefits of wi-fi ...
Schoolchildren in 174 primary schools in East Sussex are to reap the benefits of wi-fi – thanks to a £3 million contract with BT. The BT deal with East Sussex County Council will provide a managed wireless service for the schools under the council’s next generation network (NGN) programme. BT says its relationship with the council is now valued at nearly £12 million - with an option to extend the wireless service to cover an additional 130 council sites.
Stephen Pitcher, BT sector sales manager in local government, said: “The decision to go wireless means the council can achieve greater levels of flexibility – without the financial outlay of fixed connectivity. “The lower cost of ownership, greater bandwidth capacity and increased speed of delivery allows the council to develop its voice and data convergence strategy.” MLL Telecom will supply the wireless solution via a framework contract, which will enable BT to engage more rapidly on future opportunities, he added
London borough Waltham Forest is to pilot a public wireless network after joining forces with BT as part of the telco's Wireless Cities initiative...
BT will pay for and construct the network over the coming months by fitting wireless transmitters to lampposts and other street furniture. The network will initially cover a square mile around Walthamstow town centre, with several three-month trials due to take place this autumn.
The project will boost council services and bring benefits to local residents and businesses, according to the council's e-transformations manager, Max Carter. Carter said: "One of the key things is that it gives us the flexibility to pursue our objectives. There really are opportunities there." He explained the network will greatly impact council service delivery, with social workers and other staff able to remotely access back-office systems. Carter added: "This gives us more opportunity for flexible working and working from home. It gives us a lot more flexibility from where staff can operate from. "The beauty of this initiative is we're not involved in the expense of constructing the network."
The local economy should also benefit. Carter said the aim is to give local business people "affordable and agile internet connectivity". He added it is hoped the wireless network will encourage businesses to stay in the area while attracting new ones to it - reversing the current high turnover of businesses. Local residents will have free access to online council services but have to sign up with BT Openzone to get full internet access. There are also plans to provide full wireless web access in the borough's local libraries. The network will support mobile CCTV cameras which can be moved to trouble spots around the area at minimal cost. The agreement follows BT pilots in 12 other major UK local authorities, including Birmingham, Newcastle and Westminster.
Heathrow Express gets T-Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot...
Uninterrupted broadband access of speeds of up to 8Mbps will be available to customers for the 23-minute journey, from Paddington to Heathrow airport terminals, including all 6km of tunnel sections. Users will be able to purchase Wi-Fi HotSpot passes on the trains or elsewhere, and use them at other T-Mobile HotSpots after they have disembarked.
Nigel Wallbridge, chairman and co-founder, Nomad Digital - T-Mobile's solution partner adds: “This is not only a significant enhancement to Heathrow Express passengers but it is also a technology breakthrough. For the first time ever, the Wi-Fi service offered to passengers on the Heathrow Express trains will utilise WiMAX technology underground, thus creating a seamless and uninterrupted internet connection throughout the journey between Paddington and Heathrow Airport.”
The new Wi-Fi HotSpot service will enable customers aboard the Heathrow Express to make more effective use of their time; catching-up with those last minute emails, Googling that pre-meeting research, checking that their flight is on time, or even watching the goal they missed while they were in the air. The Heathrow Express carries 5.3 million passengers per annum, and includes a relatively high proportion of business travellers.
Making waves: WiFi is now available on the River Thames...
"If you were trying to run a single, conventional mesh down 22km you would have to do it over 30 or 40 IP hops which just can't happen technically," says Meshhopper's CTO, Chris Spencer. "We've currently got eight injectors into our network and your [Wi-Fi] session stays up across all eight. It makes us scalable and is what gives us our technical edge."
Existing Thames services are provided by equipment operating in three frequency bands: backhaul to the network's fixed points is over a specially licensed (802. 11 c) 5.8GHz connection; a 5.4GHz service (802.11b) to transmit to boats on the move; and a standard 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal to connect to subscriber devices. Thames Online is using Proxirn's dual radio architecture ORiNOCO AP-4000MR outdoor mesh access points for "additional locations and services". Meshhopper's relationship with the Thames began by providing CCTV, WiFi. and GPS tracking for London's river boats in addition to its own real-time passenger information system technology. Following that, it was invited into locations like St. Catherine's Dock to provide ISP services.
"It has made us develop our product massively because we see day-to-day operating problems which box-shifters don't," says Spencer. "We've developed features like auto-setup because our guys have been out there trying to install kit with a laptop in the rain. We've gone a long way into making our products simple for us and our customers." Thames Online subscribers pay £9.95 per month with no minimum contract The company also operates a SIP-based VoIP system and has roaming deals with several "high profile WiFi operators."
Europe's most advanced Wifi network...
The City of London, in association with The Cloud, has recently enabled what they're calling 'Europe's most advanced WiFi network' in a deployment across the entire City of London – the famous Square Mile. More than 350,000 people who work in and visit the area now have wireless broadband access throughout the City. The service should help people who are out and about keep in touch and up to
date on developments and allow access to cheaper telephone calls using VoIP
services such as Skype. Access is available through the usual partners of The
Cloud such as O2, BT Openzone, iPass, Truphone and Skype on various handsets.
Twelve months of development and testing has enabled The Cloud and the City of
Reinforcing the Square Mile’s status as a world-leading financial and business centre, the City-wide WiFi network has been designed and built onto existing street furniture including lamp posts and street signs.
UK faces broadband deadline threat...
The digital divide could deepen further and the economy suffer unless the UK improves its plans for the next generation of broadband within the next two years. If the UK fails to offer the same bandwidth as other countries, the pace of innovation in the economy could slow, according to a report from the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) - a government advisory group on broadband and digital convergence.
The BSG's three main recommendations for a high-speed broadband Britain
♦ The industry needs to develop business models to more accurately reflect the costs involved in providing next-gen broadband.
♦ Ofcom needs to improve its regulatory framework for next generation broadband to balance investment incentives and competition to make the market work.
♦ The government must reduce some of the costs operators face when deploying next-gen networks and understand the implications of what will happen if the UK does not act now.
The government has 12 to 24 months to develop and implement broadband policies to ensure a market-led transition to next-gen broadband - offering download speeds of 20Mbps or more - according to the Pipe Dreams? Prospects for next generation broadband deployment in the UK report.
Antony Walker, CEO of the BGS, told silicon.com it is likely there will be a similar range of benefits from the switch to faster broadband, as was seen from the move from narrowband to broadband. The report knocks ADSL2+ - which is run over copper-based networks - as a possible next-gen player because the download speed offered by the technology decreases the further the user is from the exchange.
Although wireless technologies will play a part, the move to super-broadband will require the deployment of optical fibre deeper into the local access network, either to the street cabinet or directly to the customer premises by fibre to the home (FTTH) technology, said the report.
The cost of providing FTTH to 90 per cent of UK households has been estimated at €14bn, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. But last week BT announced investment in its all-IP next generation network – known as 21CN - has knocked hopes of FTTH technology in the UK. Walker added: "There isn't yet the right balance of incentives in the market, either commercial or policy or regulatory, that would make that a sensible decision for BT."
Broadband Year in Review: 2006
It doesn't seem like it but yet another twelve months have passed as we look back to see how the last year has changed the broadband scene and what we expect to see from the industry in the next year. There have been a few key events in 2006 which have reshaped the industry.
Firstly, BT's launch of IPStream Max services offering "up to 8 meg" broadband services has changed the broadband world, not because it's a new speed record but because it brings faster broadband services to such a large proportion of the population. This is a significant boost to encourage adoption of broadband.
Carphone Warehouse's introduction of the free TalkTalk broadband service which started the 'free broadband' trend, not too dissimilar to what happened with 0845 'free' dial-up at one time changed the market and encourages bundling of services like mobile phones such as Orange's broadband offers and Sky's TV+Broadband solution.
In July, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled on Carphone Warehouse's TalkTalk advertising and the use of the wording "free forever" as well as issues affecting availability of the service. In September it also published a adjudication on the terminology used in advertising broadband services "up to" 8 meg following Bulldog's advertising campaigns (although it should be noted the term was widely used by others as well).
Ofcom has also set the path clear for a stronger regulatory framework in respect of broadband migrations from one service provider to another only a couple of weeks ago. From Valentine's day, service providers will not be able to put obstacles in the way of users moving to another supplier, even if the users have contractual obligations remaining.
There have been fewer high profile mergers and purchases this year although PlusNet's imminent acquisition by BT could not be left out. Another of note was the acquisition of Video Networks/HomeChoice (operating a TV service using LLU) by Tiscali who we suspect may venture on to the triple-play market soon.
The trend of unlimited / unmetered services attaching small print / 'catches' in the form of fair usage policies and usage based charging has continued over the last year, perhaps fuelled by the introduction of 'free' broadband services which can't sustain the level of utilisation that some users would want, as well as faster "up to 8 meg" services which would otherwise increase the 'p2p problem' exponentially.
TV over the Internet is likely to grow with offerings such as BT Vision now available to BT Retail customers, giving users Freeview as well as on demand Entertainment. We expect similar things to appear from Tiscali, and more content to become available such as the multicast TV trials by the BBC, as well as amateur-media prompted by sites such as YouTube and Google Video.
We have already seen the start of the process of BT rolling out it's 21st Century Network (21CN), a process that will continue in 2007 allowing a range of new services including ADSL2+ to be brought onto the market.
One company to watch out for next year is ntl:Telewest (or Virgin Media as they will soon be called) who is in a unique position of having their own platforms over which they could launch services other providers can only dream of as well as being able to deliver triple-play services. Whether they capitalise on these to advance their position we shall have to see. Cable operators have not in the past pushed the boundaries quickly enough to gain a competitive advantage
Thursday, June 22nd 2006. This morning I received a nice suprise text message from Andrew who had just climbed to the top of the Teville Gate muiltistory carpark with his mobile wifi kit.
The test message confirmed something we had seen the night before in the Worthing access point logs, that the Teville Road node can see Devil's Dyke node and so now it is only a matter time before we can finally link these two nodes together via wireless.
Wiana logs are also confirming the the Devils Dyke node is also talking to the Washington node (see inset) but some work is still required at Washington to improve the signal quallity. We will also be looking at improving the coverage in the Washington Village area at the same time.
Andrew said "Sunday I held my XDA running Wi-Fi-Fo-Fum and saw both my antennas from over 1 mile away from the antenna on the hill and today I stood on a 6th floor of the multistory carpark and got wifi from twelve plus miles away... SimplyWifi are very happy today!".
08th-July-2006: Victory4wifi working together with Simplywifi now have a working demo live network google map overlay on the site. The map page is currently in testing and is made availible for our network users on demo basis. Live Map..
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Left: Andrew, perched next to the main mast and mesh node, ready to remove the radio cards. Centre: Longshot of the current mast at Devils Dyke Hotel. Right: Andrew pulls out the cards while Phill looks on and ready to assit. Photos by Tina Hills. © 2006. More photos...
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Friday, June 16th 2006. Andrew and Phill revisit the Devil's Dyke Wi-Fi mesh wireless node to carry out invesigations as to why the node stopped transmitting. As a result it was decided to open up the weather tight radio housing and change both the radio cards and also the compact flash drive which controls the node. We had thought the power to the radio was playing up, but this was soon proved not to be the case. The node is back up and transmitting again, with good signals into Fulking and Edburton below and to the North of the Devils Dyke site. Wireless users should also find the coverage within the Devils Dyke Hotel it's self has improved as we have added two addional antennas to cover only the building. There is still some remote work to be done on the software but hopefully this will be completed on Saturday by Andrew. Note added Sat PM: Andrew has completed the software upgrades and has confirmed the node to be fully operational.
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