RoamAD takes the internet to the cafe

By RICHARD WOOD

RoamAD says the design of its new central city "Wi-Fi" data network sets a new standard for wireless voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls.

Chief executive Paul Stoddart said RoamAD's radio coverage used an array of antennas and radio frequency engineering techniques to filter, manipulate signal propagation, and limit interference.

RoamAD demonstrated two types of VoIP calls to the Herald. One allows businesses to bypass the local wired loop, and the other is a mobile service that allows the use of a notebook computer.

The fixed location service allows a business to connect up to 26 voice lines to a Cisco VG200 voice gateway box, which is connected to a Cisco BR342 radio box using wireless Ethernet technology. From there it connects to the wireless network.

A call placed by Stoddart to the Herald from an analogue phone through a gateway box matched the quality of a standard telephone, except for a very faint background noise during normal speech that seemed to disappear when he stopped talking.

For the mobile service a wireless PC ethernet card in a notebook computer was used. To place a voice call with this, the caller uses the speaker and microphone on the notebook itself, or a plug-in headset.

A call placed to the Herald by Stoddart from a notebook computer was not of the same quality as a typical phone call, but there was no "dropping out" of speech.

There was a clicking sound that disappeared during the conversation and a change to the timbre of the call at one point.

A subsequent call from a different notebook, using a headset, provided a quality sound but with a faint echo.

Stoddart said modern notebook computers had sufficient grunt to run the voice software.

All RoamAD calls are transmitted to a hosted call manager system at the local office of Cisco.

The calls convert to an ISDN (integrated services digital network) line and link to a telecommunications company to complete the call, in this case Worldxchange.

Stoddart said that once on Worldxchange's network the calls were like any other ISDN bundled call.

RoamAD is seeking a telco partner to resell its service and is in the "advanced stages" of raising capital.