Sydney's Connectivity Innovation Network (CIN) has demonstrated the next step in large-area WIFI. 

The CIN recently showcased its Large-Area WiFi (LAWiFi) system at a Fire and Rescue NSW facility. 

Developed by researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney in collaboration with industry partners including Pivotel, NBN Co, Real Time Access Communications, and the NSW Telco Authority, this project aims to revolutionise connectivity, especially during critical situations.

Announced in November 2022 with $500,000 in funding from the NSW government, the LAWiFi system's ultimate goal is to support 100 users over a 2km x 2km area. 

To achieve this, the project addressed limitations in WiFi protocols, which typically have a range of about 25 metres for 802.11ac signals in the 2.4GHz frequency bands.

During the presentation on August 31, the project team demonstrated their progress, achieving impressive speeds of nearly 10Mbps within a 500m x 500m area. They also reported successful tests at even larger areas, up to 1km x 1km.

One of the key innovations is the development of high-gain antennas with a narrow vertical beam and a wide horizontal beam, offering a marked improvement over existing market options.

The demonstration employed satellite backhaul from Pivotel, designed to be compatible with NBN and OneWeb satellite services. 

The potential applications for this technology are vast, including agriculture, remote education, mining, and emergency services. 

The CIN is collaborating with the NSW Telco Authority to demonstrate its capabilities for emergency services and regional community communications, particularly during natural disasters.

The authority expressed enthusiasm for the technology, stating; “We look forward to continuing to explore the potential of this technology to be used for a diverse range of applications, such as when critical telecommunications infrastructure is damaged during natural disasters”.

Later this year, the CIN plans to present the full range of capabilities of its LAWiFi system, marking a significant advancement in cost-effective and reliable large-area WiFi with potential far-reaching benefits for connectivity in NSW and beyond.