Communications of the ACM
Austrian Programmers Build Free Bridge to Internet
Aaron Kaplan standing on a Vienna rooftop in front of a node in the FunkFeuer mesh network, which some see as a way to circumvent government Internet controls.
Credit: Voice of America
Austrian researchers have developed FunkFeuer, which they say is a low-cost way of spreading Internet access across communities. FunkFeuer uses conventional technology to create a wireless network that can transmit data from person to person without involving companies or governments. It provides wireless network access across large areas using the same open radio spectrum as Wi-Fi.
Unlike traditional Wi-Fi, the FunkFeuer network operates over much bigger distances. The system relies on having enough users to put routers and antennas out in the open, so that every user becomes another provider. "It's very hard to shut them down, because you have to go after each single node, every single node owner," says FunkFeuer founder Aaron Kaplan.
The researchers say the technology also could be used to help facilitate innovation, as all of the plans and technical memos are available for free online.
From Voice of America News
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