[ILUG] can we join europe?

[Michael Megan]

Paul Jakma wrote:
> 
> On Sun, 10 Sep 2000, Michael Megan wrote:
> 
> > http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4780940/12282349.html
> >
> > Perhaps this can be done here.  Anyone aware of the radio regulations?
> >
> 
> Don't know about reg's, but i guess the IEEE wireless LAN stuff is
> legal.
> 
> who's on for constructing a wireless ILUG MAN in dublin? As you can
> get around 1Mbs at something like 5km with directed antennas.

I'm on for that.  Daisy chaining using two antennae per point, you
could probably cover much of the city.  Once it gets started, it
should spread fairly quickly.  The starting point would have to be a
cheap source of bandwidth to the Internet.  Any ideas?

Here's another quote from the article:

"Many Iowa residents have been left behind by
high-speed Internet providers simply because of
where they live," said Pederson. "Without
high-speed Internet access, we can't expect
many of those communities to survive."

A bit silly, in my opinion, but it does show a very different attitude
overseas.  I believe that American universities are now being chosen
on the basis of the availability broadband to the dorms!  It seems to
me that if we rely on our own telcos here to provide advanced services
we will always be 2 to 5 years behind other countries.

Mike