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3GSM: WiFi Meshing catches even WiFi phones in its net

A serious contender in the "do it yourself" Internet mesh business always had to face competition from LocustWorld - something few expected to see achieved. But Wi-Next, an Italian invention, may have to be taken seriously, adding "any WiFi enabled device" to the list of computers which can be mesh nodes. And yes, that includes mobile phones.

The basic Wi-Next mesh node is a Linux device [illustrated above, left] which they expect to sell for around 70 Euros when it is "industrialised" in the next few months. It is powered by the Ethernet cable (PoE) and it works on most WiFi frequencies, said founder Nicola de Carne (pictured) at 3GSM today.

But they aren't satisfied with just producing a purpose built mesh node; they want to port their software to any machine. They say work is "in progress" for a version for Symbian, and another version for Windows - and Windows Mobile - will mean that they are on their way to make any machine with WiFi in it into a mesh node.

As with any WiFi mesh, the network creates itself, without requiring human intervention. Machines which are enabled with the software will link to each other, and pass messages around the mesh net - rerouting as new machines appear in the mesh, or disappear.

The idea that a phone can be a useful Mesh node will raise eyebrows. Jon Anderson, inventor of the LocustWorld Mesh, has often suggested that any processor less powerful than an Intel x86 chip would struggle to do all the things that LocustWorld software asks it to do.

There are several rival providers of mesh devices, from Tropos to Strix, but the field has been thrown into excited confusion by the recent announcement by Belair that it has been awarded a patent for its technology.

A report in Unstrung says that the company "has been issued a key U.S. patent for its innovative, carrier-grade wireless mesh backhaul technologies already deployed in over 250 networks worldwide." The patent discloses innovative technology for providing true carrier-grade, mobile broadband multi-service mesh networks, says the brief report.

Wi-Next technology was developed originally for emergency communications in a natural disaster area, or war zone. An Italian Government sponsorship gave the researchers in Turin Polytechnic the finance needed to develop it into a home networking system.

More details in our original report