Citymesh, a Belgian telecommunications firm, is deploying a citywide Wi-Fi mesh network in Blankenberge on the coast of Belgium. Although the primary use of the network is Internet access for visitors, the city plans to use the network for public safety and other municipal purposes as well. Citymesh, a Belgian telecommunications firm, is deploying a large Wi-Fi mesh network in Blankenberge on the coast of Belgium. Although their target customers are visitors, the city plans to use the network for public safety and other municipal purposes as well. Citymesh is using equipment from Strix Systems.
The network will cover the city center, yacht harbor, camping sites and the dikes by the sea, approximately 4 to 5 square kilometers (90% coverage). In the summer months, Blankenberge, like a lot of coastal towns, gets visitors from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
To meet visitor demand for broadband, Citymesh is offering subscriptions from two hours to six months. The company says that its service is not a replacement for DSL or cable; it complements what the locals already have for wired broadband.
They are launching the Kidswatch project this month, where kids can be tracked in the city via wireless arm bands. Although they expect this service to be of great interest to visitors, especially families who fill the camping sites in the summer, the city expects the locals to use it as well.
Among the municipal and consumer applications that Citymesh envisions for the Blankenberge network are wireless cameras for security, voice over Wi-Fi, audio distribution, parking control, sensor networks and in the future, mobile digital TV.
Citymesh is planning to roll out more citywide Wi-Fi networks in Europe. At last we are seeing more deployments on the Continent.
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