SUNNYVALE, Calif.—Tropos Networks Inc. launched a new line of smart-routing, multi-band MetroMesh routers. The company’s first such product, the dual-band 5320 outdoor unit, sports 802.11a and 802.11b radios, and can create multi-band paths through a mesh network, Tropos said.
Tropos said both radios in the 5320 can be used simultaneously to form both client and mesh connections, boosting reliability and network design flexibility.
Other products in the works include a multi-radio that Tropos said combines Wi-Fi with WiMAX and third-generation cellular technology.
The unveiling of dual-band mesh routers marks a shift in Tropos’ strategy of combining single-radio units with software that routes signals intelligently throughout its network. Tropos gear gained popularity in municipal Wi-Fi networks for both its low price points and its ability to service the needs of networks designed for public use. While Tropos’ single-radio MetroMesh routers may long serve the needs of public networks, the company’s multi-band equipment offers network operators a choice when network demands call for more advanced gear.
Tropos said its 5320 will begin shipping in October, and the company plans to roll out more multi-band MetroMesh models next year.
Separately, Tropos announced the availability of its Metro Wireless Development program, which it said enables carriers, service providers, spectrum-license holders and others to add custom radio interfaces to its MetroMesh routers.
“Mesh vendors without significant outdoor deployment experience throw a bunch of radios in a box and think they’re done,” said Saar Gillai, vice president of engineering at Tropos. “Providing affordable capacity in wireless mesh networks is less about the number of radios in the system and more about the efficiency with which the system uses the spectrum those radios access.”
EarthLink Inc. has used Tropos’ gear as it racked up contracts to build Wi-Fi networks in San Francisco, Anaheim, Milpitas and Pasadena, Calif.; New Orleans; and Philadelphia. Tropos gear is also up and running in St. Cloud, Fla., and Chaska, Minn. The most recent launch of Tropos’ routers took place in Mountain View, Calif. as Google Inc. unwired its hometown with a free Wi-Fi network.
