Data and voice by 2.4GHz signal

By RICHARD WOOD

A cloth-cutting company and the Rodney District council are showing how "public park" radio spectrum can be used to wirelessly deliver both voice and data communications, cutting out telco operators and making savings in the process.

Ian Gribble's Stirling Cutting Services has connected three premises in Papakura using Wi-Fi (802.11b) technology over the free 2.4GHz general licence frequency.

One of the point-to-point links is 700m away from head office, the other one a kilometre.

This has enabled Stirling to create a single data network and a single phone system between its premises operated by one receptionist.

The wireless gear, provided by Chiliad Communications, is described as a "black box" and an aerial at each location and was installed a month ago. All up, Stirling spent $20,000 on wireless, computer, and PABX phone equipment.

Gribble said the benefits of the system included operational factors as well as call savings and the ability to share one Jetstream internet connection.

The company also uses a database program Gribble wrote and no longer has to run three separate databases, which had meant customers got three separate reports.

He said clients got annoyed because it was hard to track down the staff member they wanted between the three sites. He had considered Telecom Centrix offerings but found them too expensive.

According to Gribble the data connections have worked perfectly but the voice over internet protocol (VOIP) phone system will need a little tweaking.

He said there were occasionally echoes and a hollow sound but settings could be adjusted and he might change the cheap cordless phones the firm was using.

Stirling's phone network now has 16 extensions, with six in one factory, two in another, and the rest at head office, making it a relatively simple implementation.

At Rodney District Council a full routed data network using wireless links was required as well as 16 voice extensions to a branch office.

Over the past couple of years the council has been expanding and needed data connections to a training centre near its office in Orewa, as well as an office in Silverdale.

Then additional office space was leased at the Red Beach shopping centre and the decision was made to connect them into the phone system using VOIP.

IT manager Bill Westphal said the 16 Red Beach extensions were pushing the capacity limit on the 2.4GHz link. For another remote office being set up with 26 staff the council is deciding between a 5.8GHz link or using fibre- optic cable.

Chiliad