SAN JOSE, Calif., September 13, 2006 - Cisco Systems® today announced a new public-private endeavor with OneCommunity, a local nonprofit organization, to bring free outdoor Wi-Fi mesh services to Cleveland neighborhoods. This mesh network will provide residents with a "Digital Bridge" to access online education, healthcare, job placement and government services.
"Wi-Fi mesh is a great social equalizer in that it gives entire neighborhoods the ability to connect and communicate to otherwise unattainable resources," said Alan S. Cohen, senior director of mobility solutions at Cisco Systems. "Cisco is proud to be teaming with OneCommunity to help give the residents in these neighborhoods new opportunities to improve the way they live, work, learn and play."
The Digital Bridge Project Unifies Cleveland Neighborhoods
The Digital Bridge project in Cleveland is a collaborative effort with OneCommunity, Sprint, Time Warner and Cisco Systems. Area residents, businesses and organizations will be able to access the Internet and use services provided by OneCommunity for free. For those without a computer, OneCommunity is working with local hospitals, libraries, churches and universities to provide residents with an on-ramp to this Digital Bridge project.
"We are excited to have Cisco help us build the Digital Bridge for our neighborhoods" said Scot Rourke, president of OneCommunity. "The many uses of a Wi-Fi mesh network go far beyond just improved Internet access. Soon, residents will be able to experience a variety of new services, such as remote healthcare management, which stands to have an immediate and positive impact on this community."
The pilot launch of the Digital Bridge program commences today at Case Western Reserve University. Demonstrations will be given on campus to show how students, residents, healthcare professionals and others will utilize the free network.
Cisco Unified Wireless Mesh Networking Solution
The Cisco Wireless Mesh Network solution enables cost effective, scalable deployment of secure outdoor wireless LANs, providing government agencies and individuals with access to fixed and mobile applications to enhance public safety, efficiency, productivity, and responsiveness.
Using Cisco Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outdoor mesh access points to extend IP networks to wide-area environments, the solution uses 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g technologies for high-speed connectivity.
The solution allows local government, public safety, and transit agencies to extend their existing wired network-oriented services and applications beyond their current physical infrastructures, offering innovative new ways to accelerate communications and service delivery to both employees and citizens.
More information about Cisco's complete enterprise wireless solutions can be found at: www.cisco.com/go/wirelessmesh.
