Meraki Networks is testing a WiFi network that aims to provide affordable wireless Internet connection. In several neighborhoods, the Mountain View, California-based start-up has installed $49 boxes, which is equipped with a Wi-Fi router-on-a-chip and software that supports a "mesh network". This network redirects signals when boxes are removed or added and when network performance fluctuates due to environmental conditions. Michael Burmeister-Brown, a director of Portland, Oregon-based non-profit group NetEquality, put the Meraki “miniâ€� to a test in several low-income communities. The service delivered a bandwidth that is similar to DSL but was reduced to dissuade bandwidth-consuming downloads. According to Burmeister-Brown, web browsing was quite fast and, privacy is not compromised if standard Wi-Fi security protocols are enabled.
Via [nytimes.com]