VIA Mesh Networking Platform - Bridging the Digital Divide with Community Broadband Connectivity

Proven deployments in industrial and developing countries deliver affordable broadband coverage to both remote towns and major cities around the world.

Mesh networking is an innovative, scaleable approach to building complex data networks easily and cost effectively. Comprising a series of smart digital routers designed to carry high performance broadband wireless Internet over a wide area, mesh networks create an invisible blanket of WiFi coverage for all range of environments, from remote villages beyond the reach of ISPs to suburban areas and major industrialized cities.

Rapidly becoming established as a viable, easy to implement, low management and low cost way to deliver broadband wireless Internet, mesh networks can be configured in numerous ways for commercial and non-commercial uses, and in public or private networking environments, and are playing a key role in stimulating local and regional economies.
Delivering sustainable broadband Internet into areas that other services cannot reach economically, mesh networking enhances the business, education and personal profile of the environment - in line with VIA's Empowered Connectivity strategy of providing more people around the world with access to the digital world of information and entertainment.

LocustWorld and Mesh Networking

LocustWorld the UK-based world leader in mesh networking, has been at the forefront of developing mesh networking systems designed for a wide range of applications, and has seen considerable success in 2003 with deployments in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, from unconnected villages to suburban and city zones.

The LocustWorld Mesh AP Router, based on the VIA EPIA VE5000 Mini-ITX mainboard, is a small, self-contained wireless communications device, providing a WiFi access point and onward routing. The system contains no moving parts, making for more reliable and cost effective 24/7 operation, and the fanless VIA Eden ESP5000 processor consumes very little power, enabling the compact case design and quiet, cool operation.

Running a customized Linux kernel and the public AODV networking standard, LocustWorld mesh routers support 802.11, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity. Multiple mesh routers intercommunicate to provide a self-organising network with dynamic routing between nodes and autonomous self-detect to enable best-path transmission and ensure always-on coverage, even if one router goes offline.

Successful deployments over the past year include Bergen in Germany, Hastings in the UK and Linden in Texas, as well as Sarawak, Malaysia and Borneo. There is also a wireless mesh networking in central London, UK.

LocustWorld and VIA are now working on the next generation of mesh routers that will be built around the new VIA Nano-ITX form factor with the VIA Eden-N processor, the smallest and lowest power native x86 processor. A special Linux-based application is being developed to take advantage of the PadLock ACE enhanced hardware security features for faster and more effective AES encryption without compromising performance.

VIA Spearhead Platform Initiative

The LocustWorld mesh router is based on a complete platform of VIA technologies typified by low power consumption, compact size and rich integration, and together form a key element of the new VIA Spearhead Platform Initiative.

VIA Spearhead Platforms aim to provide complete, interoperable platform solutions for system builders to reduce costs and expedite development of smaller, quieter, smarter digital devices for specific emerging markets such as mesh networking, gaming, telematics (car PCs), and robotics, and to reduce time to market for OEMs in the burgeoning target segments of ultra compact thin clients and home entertainment centers such as set top boxes.

VIA Spearhead Platforms are ideal for a wide spectrum of digitally intelligent devices due to their excellent physical and thermal properties and enhanced multimedia and connectivity capabilities. The recommended platform technologies for the new mesh networking system market follow below.

VIA Mesh Networking Platform Key Components

» Mainboard

VIA EPIA V-Series and CL-Series Mini-ITX Mainboard - ultra compact form factor to enable considerable system design innovation, with rich I/O integration to facilitate networking connectivity. VIA EPIA CL-Series features dual LAN.

» Processor

VIA Eden ESP Processor - runs fanlessly, allowing quiet or even silent operation, very low power consumption, reliability and low total cost of ownership. VIA C3 Processor - for digital media and greater computing power.

» Chipset

VIA CLE266 / VIA PLE133 Core-logic Chipset - integrated graphics North Bridges. The VIA CLE266 supports higher speed DDR266 memory.

VIA VT8231/33/35 South Bridge - supports a host of connectivity options including USB.

» Networking

VIA Networking Rhine III VT6105 LOM Fast Ethernet Controller / VIA Networking Tahoe VT6103 PHY - enabling 10/100Mbps networking connectivity.

» Audio

VIA Vinyl Audio VT1612A and Six-TRAC - two- and six-channel AC'97 codecs for depth and clarity of PC sound.