THERE is great potential for wireless technology in the wide area networking arena, where organisations are spread over different buildings and need to link their local area networks together across these.

These buildings could be in close proximity or they could be spread over distances of 80km or more, says Iain Stevenson, MD of Communications Solutions (Comsol).

Wireless networking technology solutions that operate within the industrial, scientific and medical bands (ISM) are being used for this purpose.

This type of communication operates in these ISM bands on a line-of-sight, point-to-point or point-to-multipoint basis at effective speeds of 1.8 megabits per second (mbps) up to 800 mbps of true internet protocol (IP) throughput up to distances of 80km.

The ISM-based technology is the same as that which is used in local area networks, but with modified hardware peripherals such as amplifiers and antennas that increase the line-of-sight distance reach of the network.

To communicate over long distances requires equipment to be mounted on high masts or buildings, to overcome the curvature of the earth's surface, says Stevenson.

The ISM band can also support wireless networks operating at higher frequencies and providing higher speed throughput, says Stevenson.

He says the advantage of wireless technology is that once the equipment is paid for there is no continuing cost, as is the case with a leased data line.

He says Comsol distributes 15 different types of wireless network solutions, from desktop level through to telecommunications network infrastructure.

The company also takes on projects on behalf of technology suppliers.

Point-to-point wireless networking has great potential in Africa where the telecommunications infrastructure is lacking, especially in the rural areas, says Stevenson.

Among other things, it is ideal in the mining sector, where an organisation's operations are often spread across a wide area.

'We have just signed up a company in Zambia, which is involved with copper mining and other related industries, and we do a lot of work with internet service providers in Africa,' he says.