Wireless network going up

It’s confirmed. Testing will begin soon on a new amped-up??? wireless service being installed in western Emporia, and full-blown service for that area will follow later this year.

We’re actually working with Stutler’s and Airspan right now,??? said Scott Bankes, marketing manager for Tri-County Telephone in Council Grove. They’re still in some of the testing phases and will be for a few more weeks.???

TC Wireless, a subsidiary of Tri-County, will operate the new service, which will provide service for anything wireless enabled,??? such as computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and recreational equipment like Game Boys. A wireless PCI adapter also will be available for non-wireless computer towers that will let those computers use wireless service as well, he said.

We’re going to put some live customers on it, possibly as early as next week,??? Bankes said. Once we do that, we’ll probably test with live customers for about a month, just to get some real-time feedback. … We want to see really how it’s going to work for live customers and work out the kinks before we start asking customers to pay for the service.

If things go well, we’ll actually expand it out to include all of Emporia and then move on to other communities where we have access as well.???

Bankes explained that, in simple terms, WiFi service means that the signal is not being broadcast by traditional means like coaxial cable or telephone line.

TC Wireless currently transmits service in Emporia at 900 MHz and under license at 700 MHz.

What we’re getting ready to deploy is … a 2.4 (GHz) frequency,??? Bankes said. What we’ve done is we’ve actually amped-up the power and we’re putting several of those small access points … where everybody will associate with the bay station that they’re closest to.???

For the time being, the system will be data-only.

There’s a lot of other applications that they’re currently working on,??? Bankes said. Technically, we can do voice, we can do streaming video. Our initial application will be just for high-speed data and games.???

The new service will be the first system of its scale in the area.

We’re partnering with Stutler Techologies and with Airspan, which is the manufacturer,??? he said.

Airspan has systems serving Europe and is in the process of installing 3 million units in Tokyo, Bankes added.

Stutler, a distributor for Airspan, is a systems integrator that engineers, sells and services networks.

The system Stutler is installing in Emporia for Tri-County will provide the security that is not available for wireless users who piggyback their service from whatever wireless signal is available, whether from their home neighborhoods or as they ride by motels along the highways.

It’s a real security risk for you and for that other person,??? Bankes said, explaining the problems inherent in piggybacking.

Ours is a secured wireless network,??? he said. You don’t have to worry about sharing access, or somebody else getting into your system, or getting a (computer) virus. …You’re not sharing access with anybody else. There are security firewalls to protect your access.???

Bankes said that customers will be able to purchase wireless access in increments ranging from one day up to monthly plans. For example, a daily or weekend purchase can provide entertainment for a youngster who would rather play with a Game Boy than visit with adults, while avoiding a long-term commitment to wireless service.

A person doesn’t have to be locked in for a long-term agreement,??? he said.

A lock box will authenticate eligibility for service, which will be provided from the nearest access bay station.

If they’re not a subscriber, it allows them to sign up right there for a day, for a week, for a month.???

Source- http://www.emporiagazette.com