Tropos 5320 MetroMesh Introduces Multi-band Mesh

Due out in October 2006, the Tropos® Networks' Tropos 5320 combines 802.11a and 802.11b/g radios with the MetroMesh OS to create mesh networks. As expected, while servicing client nodes these points can bridge with each other over the air doing away with the need of dedicated hardware uplinks. The new twist is that they can dynamically shift between 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz spectrums to accomodate local conditions and new models promised to "quickly follow" the 5320 will add "...MIMO, WiMAX, 4.9 GHz, 3G/4G cellular and other unlicensed and licensed radio technologies" to its multi-radio capability.

It's easy to see how WiMAX, for example, could help tie a router into the "wireless backbone" at the fringes of a metro area, and reach the targeted market--dialup Internet users--with comfortably backward compatible 802.11b WiFi. I don't think the typical dialup Internet user in 2006 has a MIMO router at home and a 3G phone at their side. As for 4G, I don't imagine we'll see that model out much before the infrastructure for a 4G network appears!

Q. Where have you connected to a mesh network?

Photo source of Tropos 5210 router: Tropos Networks.