Silicon Valley firm takes rough edges out of WiFi
MANILA, Philippines—With WiFi technology, it will be easier for telecommunications firms to roll out broadband Internet services in remote and congested areas of the country, according to Silicon Valley-based Internet technology firm Ruckus Wireless.
Internet service providers should take a look at WiFi—short for wireless fidelity—technology to bring broadband services to households, instead of rolling out expensive cables or developing new technologies like wireless interoperability microwave access (Wimax)
WiFi has suffered a dent in its image for being unreliable and having limited scope. Most people believe that WiFi may not be used anywhere else but in houses or coffee shops.
“The biggest misconception that people have about WiFi is that it is erratic and inconsistent. We have removed those weaknesses,” said Bill Pascuzzi, Ruckus Wireless regional director of sales for Southeast Asia.
The problem with the technology used in most WiFi routers in the market today is that they work like radio transmitters, broadcasting signals that devices will have to pick up, Pascuzzi said.
He explained that Ruckus’ technology did not aim to replace fiber-optic networks in providing high-speed broadband services. Instead, Ruckus products can be used to bring good quality Internet services to millions of users who either have little or no connectivity at all.
The problem, Pascuzzi said, was that unlike broadcast radio or television, Internet connectivity is a two-way street, which means it’s not enough that a person’s mobile device can “hear” WiFi signals.
“What’s important is that a WiFi router can also ‘hear’ you,” Pascuzzi explained. Ruckus routers have been designed with that in mind, he added.
Ruckus WiFi technology is currently being used in SM malls, allowing shoppers to stay connected to the web on their mobile phones even as they walk around from store to store, Pascuzzi said.
Property developer Filinvest has also expressed interest in deploying Ruckus technology to provide Internet connectivity to residents of its residential condominium projects.
Ruckus technology has also been used abroad as a cheaper alternative to bring reliable wireless Internet to entire communities. For instance, in India, 26 cities use Ruckus WiFi technology to create the world’s largest wireless broadband network covering 375,000 subscribers.
“We’d like to say that we took the ‘suck’ out of WiFi,” Pascuzzi said.—Paolo G. Montecillo
