Wireless Technology TrendsU.C. Berkeley Opportunity Recognition 2007
for Sevin Rosen
Manu AnandYoungmin KimJason Lacombe
Kurt MillerDavid Pinn
Srinivasan Ramaswamy
MESH NETWORKS EXCEED TRADITIONAL WIRELESS NETWORKS IN RESLIANCY AND SCALABILITY
• Mesh networks deliver data including voice, video and sensor readings through a series of hops (or nodes) rather than direct to the intended target.
• Primary advantages:– Self-healing: if one node fails, the network simply
delivers via an alternate path.– Load-balancing: traffic can be distributed across
multiple nodes to avoid bottlenecks– Dynamic: a mesh network can be exapanded simply
by adding more nodes that are then automatically incorporated; no need for fixed layout or extensive forecasting of demand
– Ease of Deployment: equipment, buildings and other infrastructure can be networked without new wiring and, frequently, without local power.
WIRELESS MESH NETWORKS (WMN) ARE ESTIMATED TO BE A $1B MARKET BY 2010
• Trends:– Industries recognize the value of adopting tracking technologies like RFID to
monitor and respond to their business environment– Sensor costs are dropping– Form factor sizes are shrinking
• Results:– The Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) market witnessed 2.5x growth in 2006
and reached nearly $400M in revenue1
– This same market is expected to grow to nearly $1B by 20101 with 100K+ access points shipping per year.
– By other estimates, municipal mesh networks are expected to cover 325,000 sq.km by 2010 and alone generate revenues of $1.2B for mesh network providers2
– The wireless sensor market for monitoring infrastructure is expected to grow from $160M in 2004 to over $1.8B in 20123
1. In-Stat: "Mesh Networks: Moving From Ad Hoc to Fixed Infrastructure“2. ABI Research, “Wireless Mesh Networking: Technologies and Deployment Strategies for Metropolitan and Campus Network”3. Frost & Sullivan’s World Wireless Sensors and Transmitters Markets
ISSUES REMAIN WITH STANDARDS, POWER MANAGEMENT AND ESTABLISHED MARKET LEADERS
• No clear standard– current generation comprised of generally incompatable, monolithic
deployments based on 802.11b/g– 802.11s is the emerging standard for wireless mesh but has not yet
been ratified• Many small players in the market; ripe for consolidation
– muni Wi-Fi market leader (Strix systems) had 22% of market share (by revenue) in 2006
• Large players now entering– Cisco entered mesh in 2005 with well established brand and sales
channels
FUTURE OF MESH NETWORK TECHNOLOGY AT U.C. BERKELEY
• Smart Dust– prototype packs sensor, processor and radio
communication into 2.5mm x 2.5mm form factor– issue: shrinking power supply to match
• Advanced Power Management– issue: 80%+ of power is consumed
while access point is not transmitting– solution: advanced rendezvous
schemes to power-off AP unless communicating and extending life of battery-powered APs
JUNK PAST THIS POINT
CURRENT MESH NETWORK MARKET IS COMPRISED OF NUMEROUS, VENTURE-BACKED PLAYERS
• Market-Share Leaders in Q3 20061:1. Strix Systems (www.strixsystems.com)
• 22% share2 of market (by revenue)2. Tropos Networks (www.tropos.com)3. BelAir Networks (www.belairnetworks.com)
1. Infonetics2. Wireless Mesh Equipment Market Tracker