Leading mesh network vendor BelAir Networks has formed a technical advisory board consisting of cable system broadband Internet service providers. The goal is to involve these operators into BelAir’s future mesh network development plan.

Planning for mesh networks that would look similar to the mesh at the top of this post.

Once a reality, mesh networks provided by broadband Internet and communications service providers could be used to introduce a substantial broadband cable industry presence into this technology has already begun. This is nothing less than a huge step on the part of cable broadband - more of a rethink with a potential for a significant system architecture shift.

Before we consider why this is so important we need to review what mesh networks are and why they are so important.

In a mesh network - such as the Microsoft-supplied prototype illustration you see just below this graf - peer network nodes can supply backhaul services to other nodes in the same network. The effect is that because all nodes in the network can share the full network, a de facto network is formed because the component parts of the mesh can connect with each other.

As Microsoft’s Networking Research Group notes:

Community-based multi-hop wireless networks is disruptive to the current broadband Internet access paradigm, which relies on cable and DSL being deployed in individual homes. It is important because it allows free flow of information without any moderation or selective rate control. Compared to the large DSL and cable modem systems that are centrally managed, mesh networking is organic — everyone in the neighborhood contributes network resources and cooperates.

To me, such a mesh network could be set up and managed by a broadband service provider over an entire metro area. It could be sold as an additional component of a service bundle, or even marketed as an extended service to multi-location enterprises with need for extensive, two-way graphical collaboration.

Universities, scientific research institutions, advertising agencies and their in-town clients.

“BelAir’s move serves further to underscore that cable MSOs could become a very significant component in mesh networking in North America,” says Sam Lucero, ABI Research senior analyst for wireless connectivity research.

“It’s still early days for mesh, particularly when it comes to cable MSO involvement,” Lucero adds, “but there are good reasons for MSOs to get involved. He predicts real deployment by cable broadband providers within the next 12 to 18 months.

Related Articles

CableLabs, the research arm of the U.S. cable television industry, is preparing an updated standard that would enable its members to enhance their current VoIP offerings with video telephony, TV-based instant messaging, and integration of VoIP service with wireless.

This would be done via the forthcoming PacketCable 2.0 communications standard,an upgrade of the PacketCable 1.5 standard now in effect.

Considering that most cable companies are CableLabs members, the effect of the new 2.0 standard on VoIP and broadband services is likely to be huge.

Cable Digital News editor Alan Breznick notes that CableLabs director of PacketCable Architecture Eric Rosenfeld’s described these upgrades at the recent Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Emerging Technologies Conference.

Breznick notes that Rosenfeld said that PacketCable 2.0 would incorporate support for SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). SIP support would be a welcome enabler for wireless and video telephony applications.

PacketCable 2.0 would also facilitate support for dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets, as well as call handoffs between VoIP/WiFi and cellular networks.

Related Articles

On Wednesday, the Finance Committee of the Colorado House defeated a measure that would prohibit Colorado cities from taxing VoIP services.

The measure lost by a close 7-6 margin, but a stipulation of the vote was that the proposal cannot be brought up again this term.

Opponents testifying before the committee said that exempting VoIP from taxes could accelerate the movement of customers from other phone companies whose services are taxed. That migration, it was argued, would mean less revenues for cities and counties as the base of subscribers for taxed phone services diminishes.

“If we say that wireline and cell-phone service should be taxed but not VoIP, ” said Arvada Mayor Ken Fellman, “almost everyone will transition” to VoIP.

Surprisingly, the largest traditional broadband telco in the state backed the measure. John McCormick, Denver-based Qwest assistant vice president for public policy, said that not passing the measure provides “a disincentive to be a Colorado company in this market.”

Qwest began its own VoIP service last year.

Related Articles

Packet 8 now offers the kind of features a logical VoIP phone plan should and mirror the best of what AT&T CallVantage, Vonage, and Broadvoice, have to offer.

VOICEMAIL TO EMAIL NOTIFICATION
FOLLOW ME, FIND ME
SIMULTANEOUS RINGING ON MULTIPLE PHONE NUMBERS
7-DIGIT LOCAL DIALING
NETWORK UNAVAILABLE FORWARDING
CALL WAITING DISABLE *70 per call or all calls

Call me jaded and an early adopter, but for the first three, I’ve had that kind of feature with Webley (Now Communikate) since the 90s. As for the other three, they are needed and it’s nice to see Packet 8 catching up to Vonage, CallVantage and the rest in the way of features for the growing user base.

In my mind these are must have features and likely will stave off voluntary churn at P8 as users want applications, not just cost savings.

Related Articles