Telabria Delivers WI-FI Access Solution for Education Content [Back to News Reports]

Telabria is currently exhibiting the new product at BETT 2005 12th - 15th January, Olympia, London, Stand No. M75 .

Telabria CampusMesh is a highly effective wireless mesh network solution that delivers tri-band (802.11 a/b/g) Wi-Fi access throughout premises without recourse to traditional cable-based fixed networks. It has been deployed in schools and libraries in Kent to provide ubiquitous Wi-Fi coverage where cabling is difficult, unsightly, or cost-prohibitive. CampusMesh was chosen by Kent County Council for its flexibility to be custom-tailored to their specific requirements, while fitting within existing network infrastructures.

At any CampusMesh-equipped location, Kent students can access school network resources, the Internet, reference material and school projects from tablet PCs equipped with Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology which has integrated wireless LAN capability. Telabria has deployed CampusMesh across multiple sites including Sandwich Public Library near Dover, and Allington Public Library and Aylesford Secondary School, both near Maidstone.

In order to control the suitability of content and the environment in which students work, Kent County Council ensures all access through CampusMesh is via a tailored education ‘Putting Learners First’ portal. Students from home working through a dial-up or broadband Internet link can also access the portal.

The ‘Putting Learners First’ portal is an education initiative delivering access to high quality learning resources from any computer that has an Internet connection. The portal contains a range of tools to build lessons, track assignments and share information, as well as research and categorise content.

In addition to the KCC initiative, Telabria has deployed over sixty public Wi-Fi networks in hotels, bars, inns, and pubs across the South East, offering free access to adult education resources provided by LearnDirect, with a further 350 planned by the end of 2005. All locations use CampusMesh access points for customer connection.

CampusMesh is a highly cost-effective and quickly installable means of deploying a wireless network over wide areas without the need for traditional Ethernet cabling for backhaul to the network gateway. Unlike point-to-point wireless networks CampusMesh uses multi-hop mesh routing that enables user access in areas even where there is no direct line of site. There is no base station commonly associated with point-to-multipoint wireless systems with which all nodes must communicate directly.

Instead, network traffic takes the path of least resistance over the backhaul to the wireless gateway, and in the event of a node being disabled, the network automatically ‘heals’ itself and provides an alternative route. Indoor and outdoor access points, or ‘mNodes’ connect devices to the network wirelessly using the 2.4GHz 802.11a/b/g standard with speeds up to 54 Mbps. One antenna provides communication between the access point and the mobile device, while the second communicates with another nearby node, routing traffic out of the building and onto the mesh, and creating a Wi-Fi access zone in and around the school.

The mesh operates over a second dedicated radio, aggregating connections from multiple access points and providing backhaul speeds of up to 54Mbps. Outdoor coverage can also penetrate lightly built structures, such as outdoor classrooms and labs, removing the need for dedicated indoor access points in these locations.

Ben Chapman, Public Sector Marketing Manager, Intel Europe Middle East and Africa, commented: "Intel brings experience working with schools and governments around the world to deploy eLearning solutions that support student-centred learning. Telabria's network fully supports the Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology and is an important step supporting Intel's vision of anytime, anywhere learning that will help life-long learners realise their full potential."

Jim Baker, Telabria Founder and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our new tri-band outdoor CampusMesh access point is a significant improvement that enables quicker installation, delivers a better user experience, and supports new applications in Wi-Fi communications such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP). The Kent County Council deployment of CampusMesh really demonstrates the system’s potential, and stands to be a showcase for other local authorities around the world.”

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