Little Wireless Network In San Diego Hillside With The Right Big Idea

Yesterday i wrote about the ridiculous approach companies like Earthlink took to bring WiFi to the communities that already have plenty of broadband.

Here's an example of what I consider the right approach. Ramona, CA is in the deep suburbs of San Diego county. It's a bucolic part of the county, more rural, than true suburbia and the people who live out there choose to for a very good quality of life.

Some smart technology folks banded together and started a wireless network for themselves. As time passed, demand increased to where now 400 users are on a shared 50 megabit pipe, but the service is delivering 3-4 megabits all the time. They don't allow web servers to run, which is smart, and they seem to be growing.

It's not WiFi. The technology they are using is very similar to what Covad is delivering now wirelessly in the Orange County, Los Angeles and Bay Area. It's a combination of fixed point to point and point to multipoint spectrum. As the company adds more radios the coverage only increases. Once they reach a WiFi router the distribution works just like MuniWiFi. Add in some Meraki or FON access points and the community gets even more coverage in my view.

Way to go Sky Valley Networks. I need to take a drive to Ramona!