802.11s Mesh Wireless Standard Could be Approved by Early 2007

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802.11s Mesh Wireless Standard Could be Approved by Early 2007

6:40 am on April 24, 2006 | Category: Business, Wireless Technology, Wi-Fi

The 802.11s wireless mesh networking standard could be approved by the IEEE as soon as the early part of next year, according to a senior executive with Motorola’s Mesh Networking Group.

“The process is ahead of schedule and should be completed within a year,” said the division’s vice president, Joe Hamilla.

“Our products will certainly be compliant and support the final 802.11s meshing standard. Mesh Networks, which Motorola acquired in late 2004, provided much of the technology that is now in the emerging standard,” Hamilla went on to assure.

Motorola’s MeshConnex technology is one wireless networking solution that the company is already promoting as being 802.11s compliant. This technology already powers a variety of products, including the MotoMesh multi-radio broadband gear.

There is little doubt that a unified mesh wireless specification will be very important in the future of wide-area digital networking. The practice of linking numerous hotspots together into a “mesh” is already the fundamental idea behind the many citywide Wi-Fi projects popping up throughout North America.

The leading wireless telecom equipment vendors, including Motorola, Nokia, Intel, and Nortel, have all been taking a keen interest in the proceedings surrounding the IEEE ratification of the 802.11s specification.