Carmen Nobel

MCI is stepping up its Wi-Fi access by nearly doubling its hotspot coverage and exploring new applications that will cater to corporate customers. The carrier in the next few months will expand its Wi-Fi footprint from 6,200 to about 11,000 hotspots worldwide through a deal with Boingo Wireless Inc., officials said. This will include the […]

Various efforts to standardize seamless roaming remain nascent, but several companies are trying to ensure that upcoming Wi-Fi/cellular services are able to tie in to both hot spots and corporate PBXes. While Cisco Systems Inc. has no plans to build its own dual-mode handsets, the San Jose, Calif., company is working with several wireless phone […]

Two wireless LAN switching vendors are launching programs aimed at making their switches communicate with third-party access points. Aruba Wireless Networks Inc. this week will begin the Aruba Certified program, which involves its access point source code, and Trapeze Networks Inc. will launch a program called Open Access Point Initiative. Officials at both companies said […]

NEW ORLEANS—The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association led off its spring conference with two key messages on Monday: Fight the Feds, and give the customers what they want. In opening-day keynote speeches here, CTIA executives unabashedly lobbied for regulatory freedom, while industry executives from the worlds of music, photography and sports discussed the ubiquity of wireless […]

Although the acquisition wont be official until April, Cisco Systems Inc. is already at work on plans for the assets of Airespace Inc. The product road map adds better management capabilities to Ciscos product line by integrating Airespace management software, but it leaves the future of some Airespace hardware uncertain, according to sources familiar with […]

In the wake of much industry consolidation, WLAN switch startup Meru Networks Inc. is working to stay in the game with a focus on voice traffic and related partnerships. /zimages/5/28571.gifClick here to read a review of Merus Wireless LAN Solution. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company this week will announce agreements with three significant Japanese companies that […]

A practical need for mobility has led a Michigan hospital group to replace its aging data-centric wireless LAN with a new network that supports multiple services across multiple sites. Last year, the IT staff at Bronson Healthcare Group, in Kalamazoo, began evaluating WLAN gear that could provide reliable data access, voice support and asset tracking—all […]

After a yearlong hiatus, Cisco Systems Inc. is moving ahead with plans to add Wi-Fi capabilities to its router and switch products. This summer the San Jose, Calif., networking company will introduce a WLAN (wireless LAN) radio module for its family of branch-office routers, said sources close to the company. Cisco officials declined to comment […]

The Federal Communications Commission brought in $2.25 billion in an auction of 242 spectrum licenses, which ended last week. Most licenses cover rural areas but include cities such as Houston and Los Angeles. Verizon Wireless and partner Vista PCS led the pack, winning a combined 63 licenses with almost $697.4 million in bids. Royal Street […]

Setting up a wireless LAN can be as easy as sticking a plug into an outlet. But even technology-savvy customers are complaining that security can be a hassle due to problems with documentation and support. While industry standards bodies are making strides to ensure that even consumer-level WLAN hardware is effective and secure, the user […]

AirMagnet Inc. this week will introduce the latest version of its wireless intrusion prevention software, which includes new client blocking capabilities and better integration with gear from Cisco Systems Inc. AirMagnet Enterprise 5.1 ties into Ciscos WLAN (wireless LAN) management software, known as Wireless LAN Solution Engine, or WLSE. The AirMagnet software can now automatically […]

A Silicon Valley startup last week introduced a mesh networking system that aims to improve bandwidth over traditional mesh networks by up to 50 times. MeshDynamics MD-300 family of software and hardware uses multiple radios and channels to reduce network latency and congestion, which can be a problem with voice traffic, said officials at the […]