Low-Power Wireless Broadband

Could a wireless network be built with inexpensive access points that have a range of miles instead of feet, and that can run on long-lasting watch batteries?

xG Technology is developing hardware for such a network, which is currently being piloted in Miami. The xG hardware operates on the 900MHz band and can send a signal up to an 18-mile radius. Single cycle modulation allows the access points to use much less power than conventional devices.

The hardware still needs further testing and FCC approval, but technologies such as this suggest a solid future direction for wireless networks.

Source: Minding the Planet