InspiAir was tapped by the Hudson River Park Trust to provide free wireless internet access to the park after two other firms failed to make the grade in a multimillion-dollar project to revitalize the area.
Outdoor wireless internet is not a new concept. Major cities around the world have employed various systems to allow internet users to link up over a wide area – including Jerusalem.
According to InspiAir CEO Tamir Galili, however, the challenge lies in making that access easily available, and affordable, without the use of additional software or equipment. His company was able to do it.
“People can come to the park with their own equipment and need no additional equipment. They don’t need to download any software,” Galili told the Israel21c news website. “They can just open their laptop and connect to our system.”
It took the company less than an hour to install the system in the Hudson River Park. Other systems take much longer to install, partly because more equipment is involved.
Galili told Israel21c that most of the outdoor projects today run on the Mesh system, which installs hundreds of access points --- transmitters – in different areas around the city. Because the transmitters use a number of different channels, they must frequently be adjusted – realigned – a process that is time-consuming and expensive.
The InspiAir system works on a single channel instead. “Once we install the system, we don’t need to realign it,” explained Galili, “so the operational costs are theoretically zero. We installed the Hudson River system two months ago and haven’t had to realign it since,” he said.
The system is competitive in other ways as well. “Mesh can support internet browsing or data,” noted Galili, “but not Voice over IP or Video over IP.” He said that both Skype and WiFi phones can be used with InspiAir, a “first” in the industry so far.
Moreoever, the technology uses a lower level of radiation than other wireless systems, he said. “Our transmission levels are very low…actually one tenth or less of the cellular level.”
As with many of Israel’s high-tech firms, InspiAir began with defense applications when it was founded in 1998. Wireless communication is a new area for the company, one that started only a year ago.
Most of the firm’s customers are in Europe and the U.S., though there are several in Israel as well.
The Chief Information Officer for the Hudson River Park Trust said they have been pleased so far with the system. “We were amazed at how quickly and easily InspiAir installed their equipment,” said Michael Breen. “The system was up and running smoothly and effectively in no time.”
The Trust hopes the InspiAir system will help rekindle interest in using the park from New Yorkers who have shied away from the area. The park, comprised of some 550 acres, is Manhattan’s largest open-air development since the completion of Central Park.
To view the Israel21c website, click here.
Outdoor wireless internet is not a new concept. Major cities around the world have employed various systems to allow internet users to link up over a wide area – including Jerusalem.
According to InspiAir CEO Tamir Galili, however, the challenge lies in making that access easily available, and affordable, without the use of additional software or equipment. His company was able to do it.
“People can come to the park with their own equipment and need no additional equipment. They don’t need to download any software,” Galili told the Israel21c news website. “They can just open their laptop and connect to our system.”
It took the company less than an hour to install the system in the Hudson River Park. Other systems take much longer to install, partly because more equipment is involved.
Galili told Israel21c that most of the outdoor projects today run on the Mesh system, which installs hundreds of access points --- transmitters – in different areas around the city. Because the transmitters use a number of different channels, they must frequently be adjusted – realigned – a process that is time-consuming and expensive.
The InspiAir system works on a single channel instead. “Once we install the system, we don’t need to realign it,” explained Galili, “so the operational costs are theoretically zero. We installed the Hudson River system two months ago and haven’t had to realign it since,” he said.
The system is competitive in other ways as well. “Mesh can support internet browsing or data,” noted Galili, “but not Voice over IP or Video over IP.” He said that both Skype and WiFi phones can be used with InspiAir, a “first” in the industry so far.
Moreoever, the technology uses a lower level of radiation than other wireless systems, he said. “Our transmission levels are very low…actually one tenth or less of the cellular level.”
As with many of Israel’s high-tech firms, InspiAir began with defense applications when it was founded in 1998. Wireless communication is a new area for the company, one that started only a year ago.
Most of the firm’s customers are in Europe and the U.S., though there are several in Israel as well.
The Chief Information Officer for the Hudson River Park Trust said they have been pleased so far with the system. “We were amazed at how quickly and easily InspiAir installed their equipment,” said Michael Breen. “The system was up and running smoothly and effectively in no time.”
The Trust hopes the InspiAir system will help rekindle interest in using the park from New Yorkers who have shied away from the area. The park, comprised of some 550 acres, is Manhattan’s largest open-air development since the completion of Central Park.
To view the Israel21c website, click here.