By David Isenberg Nokia's early September move to acquire Rooftop Communications may prove brilliant - if Nokia can manage radically disruptive technology.
Network architecture emerges as a multihop, multipoint network.
Each device is both a customer's access device and a network infrastructure node. In theory, customers will be able to buy a device, take it home, plug it in, and log onto the Internet. In practice, today's installation issues include geography, roof rights, and how good a customer is with ladder, drill and screwdriver. Each customer node needs a line of sight to at least one other node, and preferably to more than one. Unlike LMDS, a line of sight directly to a point of presence is not necessary - this is a benefit of multihop architecture.