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Wi-Fi VoIP At 80 mph

Posted by timothy on from the 130-km/h-in-mexico dept.

fredo123 writes "Almost faster than a speeding bullet. As reported in Muniwireless minutes ago, RoamAD and WI-VOD have tested mobile VOIP over Wi-Fi at over 130 Km/h over an 8km stretch of Interstate highway somewhere near the Mexican border. Gee... I wonder what this is for?" No need to guess: according to the MuniWireless link, "the network is for public safety personnel (police, fire, ambulance and border patrol) first, with various community agencies, schools, business and local residents being added as the deployment expands beyond its targeted coverage areas."

7 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. ...why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why not just get them normal cell phones or something?

    1. Re:...why? by XorNand · · Score: 2, Insightful

      My guess that it's less costly than buying cell phones for everyone and then having to pay for airtime ontop of that. Plus it would be easier for that to record, log, etc. calls from HQ, regardless of who the officer calls.

      --
      Entrepreneur : (noun), French for "unemployed"
    2. Re:...why? by chia_monkey · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There are a few reasons they could be trying this. One, they can deploy and control their own private network. This gives them more control over what kind of equipment they can use, how they use it, etc. Also, perhaps cell coverage blows in this area but setting up their WiFi network gives them full coverage. Also, with such network, they can also have their laptops or PDAs in the car to connect with the network and transmit valuable data (records, news flashes, etc) back and forth.

      --

      "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang
  2. Re:Security? by temojen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's sooo much easier to eavesdrop with a police scanner.

  3. oh please! by Jailbrekr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I predict that in a week, we'll be seeing articles about how they are stuffing mobile VoIP systems into pizza boxes with neon lights illuminating the insides.

    OH COME ON. Report things which are relevant and unique, not 'omg its a wireless link that works at 80mph!'. Cel service works at speeds far faster than that (just ask anyone who used a cel phone on a plane before the ban).

    --
    Feed the need: Digitaladdiction.net
  4. Redundancy by div_2n · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The more modes of communication that law enforcements have available the better. I don't see why you would think that having one more is a bad thing. Remember that during 9/11 and the recent hurricanes that it was ham radio operators that did most of the communicating.

  5. In other news... by po8 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    • WiFi VoIP tested in cold weather.
    • WiFi VoIP tested for use during full moon.
    • WiFi VoIP: can it work for brunettes?

    Seriously. What possible reason would WiFi VoIP work any differently at 80MPH than in the rest Earth reference frame?

    P.S. Before you say "Doppler Shift", go do the math and examine the chip specs. We have: we hope to shortly demonstrate 802.11b at Mach 2.