On the heels of the Clearwire announcement (see “Technology consortium plans national WiMax network” at http://broadcastengineering.com/RF/technology-consortium-plans-national-wimax-network-0512), Cablevision has announced it will build its own wireless broadband network, using conventional Wi-Fi technology, in New York City.
The network will cover the operator’s New York footprint and be built within the next two years. It will allow subscribers of Cablevision’s Optimum high-speed access service to use the wireless network as part of their regular subscriptions.
The primary purpose is a free, value-added service to new or existing customers, the company said, noting that’s what sets this network apart from some of the other municipal networks that have failed.
The network, to cost about $100 per subscriber, should be relatively easy for Cablevision to build since the company already has a network of high-speed lines on which Wi-Fi transmitter-receivers can be attached. Cablevision services about 3 million homes in the metro area.
