Announcing a Community Wi-Fi Mesh

I am not sure if I am allowed to punt a commercial business here, so if I am breaking any forum rules, dear mod, you can delete this... But before doing that, please consider that this post is announcing a new wireless broadband operation as well as offering substantial benefits to the members of these forums.

Wi-Fi Mesh (Pty) Ltd is in advanced stage of launching a network of large series of wireless mesh communities. The communities will be using Wi-Fi as means to providing continuous indoor coverage across urban and semi-urban areas. The meshes will allow anyone with 802.11g enabled computer equipment to join as a member, as long as all strictly adhering to the local telecommunication regulations and standards.

One of the first benefits to joining a mesh community, one that we believe will attract many people to this, will be the Internet connectivity we are going to provide. All wireless community members will be enjoying typically 2Mbps unrestricted, unshaped, unmetered, lowest-latency(intra-mesh latency less than 20ms), least contended (as compared to the International ISPs, all local ISPs suck), direct link to the Internet backbone - all this at the lowest possible price for a broadband connection in South Africa.

Visit www.wifi-mesh.co.za for more details as well as to keep-up with the updates to the launch activities.

We are targeting to launch at the beginning of July by covering one 50 sq km area in Gauteng (exact location to be decided before end of April), followed by an expansion at a rate of around 60 sq km per month across other large cities as well.

Currently we are looking for some resources to join us - we have openings for 4 local (JHB) direct sales, 1 admin and 1 technical - that can join us as early as the mid of May. We would prefer someone with experience in IP and Wi-Fi, but that is not necessary for one to qualify. The job is structured more around managing the mesh nodes and will not require installation of any kind or climbing on roofs/masts

From September 2007 we are going to open positions for additional 15 technical resources, located across the five largest cities - IP and some Wi-Fi experience is sufficient to qualify, but again, if you show positive attitude, then please apply with confidence. At that time we will also need 2 php/sql developers, preferably pretty people with anti-Perl attitude

We also decided to treat preferentially the members of these forums - so, if you would like to become part of this exciting venture, please drop us a line at [email protected] - we are sure that we will find a way to get you involved and who knows, you may even end up with a free Internet connection.

This has almost got ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with community networking...

Money grabbing...

If you do not have bank account or you don't want to become a member of a WIFI COMMUNITY and you want to pay month-to-month for the communal services, you need to visit the Wi-Fi Mesh (Pty) Ltd offices and pay for the Internet access fee in cash. There, on receipt of your cash, you will be issued with username and password on the spot and you can start enjoying unlimited, unmetered Internet access until the end of the calendar month you paid for. Before the beginning of the next calendar month, you must decide which payment option do you want to continue with - become a member or continue paying cash month-to-month.

If you want to gain access to the Multimedia Library that some of the WIFI COMMUNITIES maintain on their mesh, you will need to apply for a Multimedia Library membership separately. As of the begriming of 2007, the monthly membership fee for access to the 1,500+ movie titles, 3,000+ MP3 songs, and unlimited number of individual membership video clips is set to R199.00. Click here to apply on-line. The Multimedia Library is accessed trough a Wi-Fi set-top box that you connect to your TV or Home theater and use it as an interactive viewing display.

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Yeah its odd that its a community and yet you are still charged a monthly rate sounds more like a commercial venture to me, illegal to do in ISM unfortunately!

Before the beginning of the next calendar month, you must decide which payment option do you want to continue with - become a member or continue paying cash month-to-month.

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Thanks, but no thanks...

This is illegal!

RichardP said:

This has almost got ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with community networking...

Money grabbing...

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Hey dude, chill abit.

I don't understand the reason for your frustration.

Are you saying that if we let some people to join-in temporarily as guests because they don't want to become community members it is money grabbing? Or if we charge money for a service that we provide to the community - it is money grabbing?

Which planet do you come from - here we live in a societies that allows as the freedom of association - association in communities, lead by free tyrants (like in Cuba or Libya) or associating in communities of free people (like in SA).

But in all cases - there is not such think as a free lunch.

We say that we will allow the community members to use some of the facilities of the mesh for free - as long as it does not cost as money. For everything else, they will pay least for the value that they will receive.

Is that money grabbing?

It not nice to take something out of the context and shout about...

bwhaahah i just read on the site "but typically sustains throughputs of around 100Mbps per mesh. " u must be kidding yourselves

Xarion said:

Yeah its odd that its a community and yet you are still charged a monthly rate sounds more like a commercial venture to me, illegal to do in ISM unfortunately!

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Xarion,

It is a community and it is a commercial venture (that is what I said in my first post, but you probably missed it).

Please substantiate your claim that it is "illegal to do in ISM".

Xarion said:

bwhaahah i just read on the site "but typically sustains throughputs of around 100Mbps per mesh. " u must be kidding yourselves

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Sour grape...

You know Xarion, we build, tested and measured, and then used the result of those test measurements to make statements like the one above.

Instead of biting like that, why don't you join us - but seeing you having such negative attitude, I doubt that we will get along that well...

hehe it just gets better...

The maximum bandwidth of the mesh as seen at each member end is 54Mbps, dropping to 6.5 Mbps in few cases where the distance to the nearest neighbor node is at its maximum, with the 2Mbps being the worst speed achievable - usually under the worst imaginable conditions.

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have you guys actually worked with wifi before?

The illegality of selling stuff commercially in the ISM bands thats what!

My gripe is people selling stuff in the ISM band which is not meant for commercial purposes... what is your strategy for coverage? you're basically just another WISP arent you? except you now make it sound like its a "community"

Iliyan said:

Hey dude, chill abit.

I don't understand the reason for your frustration.

Are you saying that if we let some people to join-in temporarily as guests because they don't want to become community members it is money grabbing? Or if we charge money for a service that we provide to the community - it is money grabbing?

Which planet do you come from - here we live in a societies that allows as the freedom of association - association in communities, lead by free tyrants (like in Cuba or Libya) or associating in communities of free people (like in SA).

But in all cases - there is not such think as a free lunch.

We say that we will allow the community members to use some of the facilities of the mesh for free - as long as it does not cost as money. For everything else, they will pay least for the value that they will receive.

Is that money grabbing?

It not nice to take something out of the context and shout about...

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A library is a community venture... They dont charge for books. Reselling internet over a Wifi network is NOT a Community venture. You are not in buisness for free, so hence you have a commercial interest. Adding the clause 'Community' to bypass ICASA (as you stated in one of your other posts) is not fooling me.

This is WISP in another guise.

Why dont you just Say ... its for the money. Sorry to say.. the terms are a joke.. Have you ever ran a Community Wifi network? do you know what the TCP/IP throughput of a Wifi Access point is? Do you know how to control Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure modes? Bandwidth? Channel separation? How do remote communities authenticate with your servers?

Sorry.. but do you have experience in Running such an operation?

Nothing else to do, nothing to pay. You will then be able to start exchanging data immediately with no bandwidth restrictions. Before doing so, please familiarise yourself with the communal rules, you can select that option from the menu on the left.

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and then in the Rules

2.2. Notwithstanding our right to restrict, suspend or terminate the Services, if you breach this AUP you may receive a formal warning from us specifying the unacceptable conduct and notifying you that repeated breaches may result in the Services (or any part of Services) being temporarily or permanently withdrawn from you.

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3. Use of the Services

1. 3.1. We reserve the right to investigate any suspected violation(s) of this AUP. When we become aware of possible violations, we may initiate an investigation, which may include gathering information from the User involved and the complaining party, if any, and examination of material on our servers, networks or any other equipment associated with the Services.

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4. Use of Material

1. 4.1. You are prohibited from storing, distributing, transmitting or causing to be published any Prohibited Material through your use of the Services. Examples of "Prohibited Material" shall be determined by us (acting in our sole discretion) and shall include (but are not limited to) material that:
2. 4.1.1. is threatening, harassing, invasive of privacy, defamatory, racist, obscene, indecent, offensive, abusive, harmful or malicious;

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so you saying you get in the region of 12000k/s (100Mbps) over wifi, now this I have to see.

Eish... TRUE community networks exist already... check http://www.wug.za.net, http://www.jawug.za.net and http://www.dwc.za.net. These NON PROFIT groups are actively donating their time and money to building REAL community networks as communication foundations.

See those sites to see how its supposed to be done...

Sangoma said:

so you saying you get in the region of 12000k/s (100Mbps) over wifi, now this I have to see.

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Me too... my link tops out at like 60mbit true throughput on 5.8 and honestly, its the fastest non commercial link i have ever seen.

Me too... my link tops out at like 60mbit true throughput on 5.8 and honestly, its the fastest non commercial link i have ever seen.

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Hmmm

Sounds like a challenge to me. Us CTWUGgers will have to see what we can do...

Great guys, this is exactly the reason I posted this announcement on this forum - the fury of the few replies puzzled me, though...

Let see if I can keep up with the attacks (I must add, mostly unsubstantiated, based on false premises)

First, my (please note, personal view) problem with the few small networks that the WUG members have build - they are all grossly illegal as all of them rely on excessive EIRP to achieve connectivity between the nodes. Do you want me to point you the exact clause, paragraph and the regulation that this braches? If one shows me a Wi-Fi link that connects two WUG members that is maintained to within the 20dbm limits, I will instantly change my opinion and retract my words.

Until then, I am standing to be proven wrong.

To all those who is going to join Xarion in saying that "if we could not do this, you cannot possibly do it as well" I can only say - before attacking us, why don't you join one community and try our services. If you do not get what we say you are going to get, then, hey - you are welcome to come on-line and bad mouth us as much as you like. But until then, if you claim that we are doing something (1) illegal (2) physically impossible (3) commercially unviable - then you must substantiate your claim.

Xarion, I am not going to teach you how to build a community Wi-Fi network– you have done it your way, we believe it is a wrong way and we have developed a way to build it the so it is legal and commercially viable.

RichardP,

Please read carefully every statement that we made - here on this forum, as well as on our site.

I understand your socialistic stand, but unfortunately, we do not subscribe to those values. We never have. We also use the common definition of wireless community - for people who get confused, we provided a reference to Wikipedia's article on the wireless communities.

When we say a community, we say it within the context of people free to associating themselves into a community of some choice. Hence the clarification – we call these “Wi-Fi Communities”. We, the company that provides certain Internet connectivity service, do not charge for, nor get commercially involved in the intra-communal connectivity.

Although, facilitating and help building the Wi-Fi mesh does cost us a lot, we have decided that we are going to keep the communal level of connectivity free. If you understood what we are doing, you will notice that no one is charging (nor going to charge) for the traffic travelling across and within the communal mesh. That includes all P2P traffic as well as all future on-net VoIP connectivity.

But this is the closest we will get to your socialistic view of a community?

When it comes to providing services - be them the Internet connectivity, or the access to the Video Library (who do you think should pay for the royalty fees for content), or the access to the number of additional (all commercial) services that we intent of introducing in good time, we provide them in strictly commercial grounds - and we never hide our intentions.

Hey guys, how difficult is to accept that someone is going to make your dreams come true by providing superb wireless connectivity, gaming amd VoIP will finally work and you will be able to connect to the Internet trough a link that does not count bytes anymore - that for the lowest possible price?

Interesting post...

Im just wondering about the following:

Iliyan said:

"...direct link to the Internet backbone - all this at the lowest possible price for a broadband connection in South Africa..."

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What/where is this backbone? Are we normal dsl/3g users also "plugged" into this "Internet Backbone", or is it something exclusive to users of your "community service"-thingie?

Another thing thats troubling me, and i quote from your website: "...as well as a section full of catalogued, latest blockbuster video titles, similar to the ones one can find in a typical Video Store, available to the community members to watch on-line, on a club membership principle..."

Are you then registered with the relevant authorities to supply multimedia content to others (for a profit), in an environment where it is quite easy to copy/duplicate said content? We wouldnt want to break the law here...

savagedavid said:

Hmmm

Sounds like a challenge to me. Us CTWUGgers will have to see what we can do...

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lol. Get to it! The faster the wugs the better

Sangoma said:

so you saying you get in the region of 12000k/s (100Mbps) over wifi, now this I have to see.

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Let me help you there - we never said that a single Wi-Fi link can provide 100Mbps throughput. Do not get mislead by the opinions of the others - sometimes, they can be erroneous. Go and read our statement yourself.

To help you further - one test that we conducted was streaming 65 concurrent DivX stream, each at SD 640x480, one server serving 20 player stations. The dropped frame rate was 0. The spectrum utilisation was close to 100%.

con-ca-te-na-ti-on

ok hmm where to start... my "Attack" is not on your venture, your business venture sounds great and good luck with that. My issue is the preservation of the ISM band, and for it to be used for what it was meant to - experimentation and non-commercial purposes. Any access point you buy exceeds EIRP limits if you really want to be pedantic so there is little way for anyone to enforce that. Perhaps you wisps should actually all get together and buy a portion of the frequency bands and move off ISM bands and all fall under one umbrella. How does Iburst manage to do so well no killing the ISM band?