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Mobile Wireless at Tempe Presidential Debate

Posted by samzenpus on from the internet-car dept.

badcataz writes "Presidential debate goers in Tempe, Arizona might find a strange looking electric vehicle providing wireless service. WAZ Tempe has modified and Italian Electic car to extend their downtown Tempe network using a 1 Watt Tropos 5110 wireless mesh node."

5 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. I'll take one by erick99 · · Score: 5, Informative
    From an article linked to the original article:

    The electric carts are manufactured in Italy by the World Alternative Transportation Technologies Corpration (W.A.T.T. Corp). This particular model is called "Teener E". It is a small, enclosed two passenger electric vehicle powered by rechargable batteris and driven by an electric motor. It can climb up to 18% grade steep hills. It's speed does not exceed 35 mph and has a range of 50 miles. Full battery recharge is 4 hours. It complies with all Federal Motor Safety Standards (ie. seatbelt, roll cage, emergency brakes, etc.)

    The WiFi transmit/receiver unit on the cart has range of 1 mile (1.6 km) compare to standard WiFi equipment of 300 - 500 ft. It runs on Linux operating system, able to auto-recognize and auto-configure into local WiFi mesh. Various businesses in downtown Tempe area have given permission to Nasco's group to install WiFi units on their properties.

    Nasco is also in contact with city of Tempe to further WiFi coverage, hopefully in next few years the city will be complete wireless.

    Now that is an example of folks working well together for a common good. I wish my town would do that. But, they will not even allow a single cell site so we barely have cellular phone service out here much less wifi. Oh, well, to some, the lack of cell phone service is seen as a benefit.

    Here is another interesting article about Tropos: Mesh could be the solution to a proposed $1 billion wireless municipal network for New York City emergency workers.

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  2. Nice by FiReaNGeL · · Score: 3, Informative

    They actually use these as substitutes when parts of their WiFi network go down... Fast, mobile, cute and powerfull, can we ask for something more? :)

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  3. Re:If they had a ham license.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    1,500 watts :-) KE3PB

  4. Salon pic by darekana · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here is the bush backboard pic on Salon.

    Do as you will.

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    Interactive Visual Medical Dictionary
  5. More Pictures by idiotfromia · · Score: 2, Informative

    There are more pictures available on Tian.cc, the source of the Gizmodo photo.

    All direct from a guy living in Tempe.