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Wireless Wales

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the too-late-for-my-family dept.

phich65 writes "People could soon be sending e-mail from the hillsides, roadsides and rooftops of the south Wales valleys with the expansion of Europe's densest wireless internet network. See this BBC story for details."

10 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. One question... by GearheadX · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How are they going to handle the sudden influx of users when this opens fully? I'm afraid my command of how wireless operates is a bit shakey.. but isn't a general rule of thumb more users = less available bandwidth/stability?

    1. Re:One question... by WhaDaYaKnow · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't worry, there's 3 people in Wales, of which two live in LlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllLlantysilio gogogoch

      Just kidding, I've been to this lovely town and all I'm saying is that there's not _that_ many people living in Wales.

    2. Re:One question... by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 3, Informative
      Yes, but I worked out, with a contention ratio of 50:1, providing 576kb/s to each user, each channel can handle 286 users; it's surprisingly high really. (Assuming you get a reasonably realistic 3.3Mb/s throughput on each channel, YMMV of course).

      And you can have 3 channels, and/or multiple transmitters on the same channels (widely spaced using directional antennas) those tricks would multiply up the capacity further.

      By ADSL standards the capacity is huge.

      Of course each wireless node can probably only handle about 15 nodes on it, depending on the equipment you plug in, but then you network the nodes together.

      --

      -WolfWithoutAClause

      "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
  2. Why is the U.S. so far behind..... by Droz1313 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...when it comes to anything other than dialup access? Is it strictly a lack of competition or is there more to it? The best broadband I can get at my home is spotty cable access for $55.00 a month, so I'm almost to the point of looking at Sat. service for my internet access..it's either that or moving, and hate U-Haul.

  3. finally! by Noodlenose · · Score: 4, Funny
    This can only mean one thing:

    Wales will be the proud location of the first portable web-server on a sheep. You could even design a sheep cam and check were your flock is heading or which bastard is shagging your herd!

    cool!

  4. Re:Let's try that in Welsh by dafydd · · Score: 3, Informative
    Hmm. Either a translation program, or a word-for-word translation by way of a dictionary, methinks. Let's see what a speaker might come up with:


    Broadband am ddim? Broadband diwifrau am ddim? Gellir rhoi hwn i ddefnydd da, yn arbennig yn ardaloedd trefol ddwys. Mae'n drueni fod cymaint of ISPs yng Ngogledd America yn ymladd yn erbyn y wardriving, tra nid yw'n broblem dramor.


    It's interesting that the previous translation used the word "rhydd" (used above in the imperative form "rhyddha") for "free", since it means "free as in speech", as opposed to "for no cost" ("am ddim" - lit, "for nothing"). Yet another language that makes the distinction; pity there isn't a simple way around the ambiguity that exists in English.
  5. Wireless Wales....? by seamustheshark · · Score: 4, Informative

    The problem they have in Wales (and indeed, most of the UK outside the 'big' cities) is that the major Telecoms provider, British Telecom, who basically own all the local telephone exchanges, will not upgrade them for broadband until there is a certain "target level of demand" (i.e. until it will pay them hansomely to do so).

    Of course, the rub is, for rural exchanges (like where *I* live) they won't tell you what the target is.....

    Therefore, they can alter the 'majic' target at will, so that rural communities will almost certainly never get wired-broadband, hence the move to wireless networks - not only in Wales, but elsewhere in the UK, as it is seen as the only economic way to get better than a POTS dial-up (and don't even ask me about Satellite access in rural UK - uk£1,200 setup and uk£99/month? No thanks!!!)

    --
    -- Seamus
    1. Re:Wireless Wales....? by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 4, Informative

      The targets are well known. BT even publish information about how well your local exchange is doing.

      See http://www.adslguide.org.uk/availability/btprereg. asp?order=reg
      for the current 'league table'.

  6. Re:Wales? c'mon. by Gordonjcp · · Score: 4, Informative
    Close... Actually, England and Scotland are seperate countries. Scotland has a completely different legal and school system, susbstantially different financial system, although it shares the same money, and has a more-or-less seperate government. Wales has a degree of governmental independence (not quite so much as Scotland, but nearly so), and is considered a seperate country. These make up Great Britain.

    Then you add in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and all the Channel Islands, and you've got the United Kingdom.

    Please don't mention Sealand or Rockall, they're just a pain in the arse.

  7. Cwl! by dpbsmith · · Score: 3, Funny

    If they proceed Caerphilly they could lead the world, unless someone Welshes on the deal. Can you install a new Cardiff your PC doesn't have the Newport you need for the service? When you speak Welsh over VOIP is it clear, or just Mumbles?

    --

    "How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!