Intel has made an investment in Tropos Networks, a start-up based in San Mateo, California that is pursuing a cellular Wi-Fi architecture for metro scale networks. Financial terms were not disclosed. Tropos' architecture enables Wi-Fi cells to self-organize and, using wireless backhaul, forward data to each other along the optimal path to a wired network connection. In addition to the investment Tropos received from the Intel Communications Fund, the company announced in February that it raised $8.3 million in funding from Benchmark Capital, Boston Millennia Partners, Hanna Ventures and Voyager Capital.http://ww.troposnetworks.com
- In May 2003, Tropos Networks (formerly FHP Wireless), a start-up based in San Mateo, California, unveiled a cellular Wi-Fi mesh networking system designed to provide city-sized coverage at a fraction of the cost of current hot-spot architectures. Rather than having wireline backhaul at each Wi-Fi node, Tropos creates an intelligent, switch mesh among overlapping Wi-Fi cells. Routing intelligence embedded into each node enables the Wi-Fi cells to self-organize and, using wireless backhaul, forward data to each other along the optimal path to a wired network connection. The concept has been field-proven by Coastside Net, a wireless ISP that is operating a Tropos network in Half Moon Bay, California. Tropos said its Wi-Fi cellular concept is also being adopted by several U.S. municipalities, which are building city-wide Wi-Fi to provide wireless data to police cars and for public access. Tropos' product line includes both indoor and outdoor (telephone pole or light pole mounted) access points with the embedded mesh networking software. Tropos estimates that a typical network cost will range from $20,000 to $50,000 per square mile, depending on the geography and RF environment.
