Radiant Networks Unwires City Of Solon, OH
Solon, OH - Radiant Networks, with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky and regional offices throughout the Midwest, recently announced that the city of Solon, Ohio has deployed a public access mesh network using Proxim Wireless' ORiNOCO Wi-Fi Mesh and Tsunami MP.11 point-to-multipoint product lines as the foundation. Radiant Networks, one of the country's leading wireless engineering companies, performed the initial site survey and feasibility study to design a redundant wireless network. Working with Winncom Technologies Corporation – a Solon-based wireless distributor – to supply the hardware, Radiant then provided the turn-key installation and certification of the network.
Solon, Ohio is an affluent suburb approximately 20 miles east of Cleveland. With a population of approximately 24,000, the City planners have done an outstanding job blending its residential and business components into an ideal climate for living and working. The success of the city allowed it to capture 42nd in Moneys "Best Places to Live" in 2005, and in 2007 it was named "Top Suburb" by Cleveland Magazine. The city planners continue to work to improve the quality of life and business through this new wireless initiative.
The City of Solon envisioned using wireless technology as a key ingredient for community development and growth. The initial network was to focus on two main applications to achieve this goal. First, to provide free, public Wi-Fi access to their residents within their recently constructed Community Center and throughout their public parks area. And second, to create a wireless infrastructure that the city can use to provide low cost wireless access throughout the city of Solon. Radiant Networks designed the network using Proxim's Tsunami MP.11 WiMAX-capable point-to-multipoint products and Proxim's ORiNOCO AP4000MR-LR high capacity, ruggedized Wi-Fi mesh access points because they support voice, video, and data while minimizing latency and working in the harshest outdoor environments.
Free Wi-Fi access is now available in the Community Center and the Community Park. The Solon Community Center is a 94,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that contains meeting and banquet rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, gymnasium, jogging track, aerobics studio, free weight room, rock climbing wall and a fitness area. The Solon Community Park is situated adjacent to the Community Center. Students and families can now gather outside and utilize a free public Wi-Fi network. The 40 acre Community Center / Community Park area includes 10 baseball diamonds, tennis courts, two playgrounds, a sand volley ball court, wooded walking paths, and pavilion areas. The wireless network supporting this application uses true mesh technology to create Wi-Fi cells and backhaul bridging with multiple fail over locations. A resident can log into the network within the Community Center, decide to catch some sun at the pool, and then walk to the baseball fields to catch a quick game, without ever losing their session connection.
The City of Solon understands that cost effective, high bandwidth network connectivity can help lure companies into their community and provide existing companies with alternatives. Therefore, they asked Radiant Networks to design a wireless infrastructure that would accomplish this goal. The resulting design is a wireless multipoint network utilizing the City of Solon's own 250' RF tower, which is located at the center of the city. From this tower, the city plans on utilizing high-speed wireless access as an alternative option to either T1 replacements, or redundant links.
Jeffery Pokorny, Director of Information Technology for the City of Solon said, "This is another of many ways a city can work with their community to provide needed services and enhanced communications to a global market. Working with local Radiant Networks personnel and local firms provided a personal value to the success of the project."
SOURCE: Radiant Networks