CoWave Networks' MeshCast technology is being designed to help service providers address residential and small business markets by automating network design and by utilizing a higher availability mesh architecture.

by Wayne Kawamoto [January 14, 2002]

CoWave Networks announced the successful development of MeshCast, the company's new wireless technology that may offer service providers a cost-effective broadband technology that appeals to the residential and small business markets.

Based on a broadcast-mesh topology, MeshCast is designed to completely eliminate line-of-sight requirements for subscriber equipment. According to the company, it also reduces the number of units that require an outside antenna to fewer than ten percent. This should for allow easier self-installation and reduce the technical support that's needed to configure most subscriber units. Also, fewer base stations should be required when using the MeshCast solution because each subscriber unit will be able to access the network from its nearest neighbor.

At the heart of the technology is a repeater-based, broadcast-mesh topology that lets each subscriber unit repeat appropriate traffic to other subscriber units in its sector. The base station will feature over 6 Mbps of shared user bandwidth per sector, and should serve up to eight sectors with coverage over twenty square miles per sector. Also, the product will include an off-the-shelf router "backend."

MeshCast promises to provide complete coverage of service areas. The company claims that unlike DSL and cable, MeshCast creates short hops that follow an area's geographic topography to produce efficient and uniform broadband coverage for every potential subscriber. These short hops may reduce aggregation and backhaul costs, which should appeal to service providers. Also, MeshCast has been designed to multiplex traffic and replace expensive point-to-point wireless or wireline backhaul to multiple base stations.

CoWave Networks says that it will deliver subscriber equipment, a multi-sectored base station, a Network Element Management System (EMS), and a Web-based Network Deployment tool. The CPE will consist of an indoor unit that is both self-aware and self-installable. It will be small in size, draw low power, and feature fully integrated RF, baseband and a LAN interface. It will also include integrated gateway functionality, a firewall, NAT, DHCP and VoIP.

The network deployment tool can help service providers set up the coverage area for maximum efficiency. Service providers should be able to input the desired coverage area, terrain data, and available tower sites, and the deployment tool should output the recommended tower sites, target subscribers for initial outdoor units, and estimated coverage and data rates.

"MeshCast is the first technology expressly designed to help service providers successfully address the massive residential/small business market," said Steve Goldberg, CEO at CoWave Networks. "In addition to giving service providers a strong business case for addressing this market, MeshCast will reward their success with performance that actually improves as more users are added to the network."

"Although DSL and cable are well established, there are many tier two and tier three markets that can't get service from either, and service providers need a practical way to provide coverage to them without incurring expensive technical support," said Kathie Hackler vice president and chief analyst of telecommunications at Gartner Dataquest. "However, the most interesting aspect of this new technology for service providers may well be the promise of significantly lower backhaul costs, which can slowly bleed them to death."

"MeshCast is clearly targeted to hit all the pressure points in today's broadband wireless market," said Peter Jarich, analyst at Strategis Group. "When fully deployed, it promises to execute on the potential of broadband wireless, allowing broad coverage and service options for the frustrated users who can't get DSL or cable service."

Availability and pricing
The product is in development now, with beta trials expected to be complete in Q3 of 2002. Customer shipments are expected to begin in Q4, 2002.

Pricing was unavailable at our press time.

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