Comcast Launches Wireless LAN Trial with Selected Participants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Strategic Insights -

Comcast Commercial Online Communications, Inc., a leading provider of managed broadband Internet services to small and medium-sized businesses and schools, has announced a wireless LAN trial with selected participants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The trial is designed to understand how broadband-enabled small and medium-sized businesses and schools might use wireless LAN technology, what barriers to acceptance exist in a broadband environment, and how Comcast can best integrate these capabilities into the Comcast Commercial Internet Service (CCIS) offering.

Comcast has partnered with various technology providers, including Aironet, Cayman Systems, Proxim, Inc., Lucent Technologies, and Apple, to conduct the trial. The trial aims to explore the feasibility of providing wireless LAN connectivity to businesses and schools through commercially available wireless LAN technology. The participants will test various wireless LAN solutions, including Aironet's 4800 Series, Cayman's 2E500-W routers, Proxim's RangeLAN2 base stations, Lucent Technologies' WaveLAN base stations, and Apple's AirPort base stations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The trial aims to understand how broadband-enabled small and medium-sized businesses and schools might use wireless LAN technology.
  • The trial will test various wireless LAN solutions from Aironet, Cayman Systems, Proxim, Inc., Lucent Technologies, and Apple.
  • The trial will explore the feasibility of providing wireless LAN connectivity to businesses and schools through commercially available wireless LAN technology.
  • The trial participants will be selected from small and medium-sized businesses and schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
  • The trial will conclude within three months, after which Comcast hopes to have a solution for providing a viable, well-tested wireless LAN option for CCIS.
  • The trial is designed to identify the best solution for Comcast to integrate into its CCIS offering.
  • The trial will help Comcast understand what barriers to acceptance exist in broadband environments.
  • The trial will enable Comcast to integrate wireless LAN capabilities into its CCIS offering.

Statistics:

  • 11 Mbps wireless Ethernet connectivity will be provided by the trial participants.
  • The trial will use commercially available wireless LAN technology.
  • 400-foot range is expected to be achieved by Aironet's 4800 Series.
  • 150-foot range is expected to be achieved by Cayman's 2E500-W routers.
  • 1,000-foot range is expected to be achieved by Proxim's RangeLAN2 base stations.
  • 1,200-foot range is expected to be achieved by Lucent Technologies' WaveLAN base stations.
  • 150-foot range is expected to be achieved by Apple's AirPort base stations.
  • The trial will involve 15 participants, including small and medium-sized businesses and schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Sources:

  • Comcast Commercial Online Communications, Inc.
  • Aironet
  • Cayman Systems
  • Proxim, Inc.
  • Lucent Technologies
  • Apple
  • Apple Computer, Inc.
  • NASDAQ: AAPL
  • PRNewswire
  • The NASDAQ Stock Market
  • The Massachusetts Telecommunications Council