Q: How did you come to start 4G Metro?

Solomon:

Based on all of our experience in various facets of the network industry, starting with the ISP business and Don’s experience with the deployment of WiFi on commuter boats in Queensland [Australia], we knew the future of the wireless industry was bright. What’s more, we’d researched all the equipment. We did the early testing… even back when wireless was in it’s infancy. And now we know we have the solutions – because we’ve already done it.

Lanham:

In Granbury [Texas], for example, we began with mobile prototypes in police cars… in fact, we went from dial-up all the way to metro-scale wireless mesh networking. But as we thought about forming 4G, we said to ourselves, “how far can we go with this?” We really wanted to take installations like [Granbury] and ratchet them up by a factor of 100… that was the beginning of 4G Metro.

Q: What are the most exciting opportunities in the industry that you see today?

Solomon:

Definitely WiFi for public transit. This is an offering that represents the merging of specialized metro mesh technologies and a business model that makes wireless applications available and affordable in places and in ways that were impossible before. This is a network offering that will empower municipalities and public-transit organizations. In the near future, this wireless commuter-rail technology will enable widespread networks of security cameras and automated telemetry – giving commuters up-to-the-second information on where the train is, how fast it’s moving and so on. If a train is late, passengers will know exactly how late. Security alerts – “Amber Alerts” – are another possible application of the technology.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the wireless communication industry today?

Solomon:

Two things, really: the growth of “convergence” and the recognition by providers and consumers of that reality. I’m talking about the convergence of fixed and mobile networks and technologies. Mobile phone manufacturers, for example, need to start marketing phones that can use both WiFi and cell networks. And consumers need to start demanding this kind of capability.

Q: Where do you think wireless communications are going over the next five years?

Lanham:

To Jackie’s point, we’re going to see fixed and mobile convergence in handheld devices and networks. AT&T and Verizon will start to offload their large data to other networks: watch for “big content” moving on WiFi networks instead of on cellular.

Q: Can you describe a typical rider’s experience on a wireless commuter-rail implementation?

Lanham:

To begin with, by the way, 4G Metro is the first provider in the nation of wireless services and content available in every rail car – and extending along the entire length of a rail system. Riders get 8.5 to 9 megabit-per-second WiFi Internet access … when traveling at 65 miles per hour. And shortly we expect to increase that speed by around 40 percent – to about 12 megabits. So, for users on the train, that’ll be like surfing the Web at home. In addition to having WiFi access throughout the train for their laptops, PDAs, IP phones and so on, riders will be able to watch entertainment, news and sports programming on six 27-inch LCD screens per car. The screens will also show targeted advertising aimed at the commuter audience. The wireless kiosks in each station station will also feature advertising and programming and offer the sale of daily, weekly and monthly Internet passes.