Wireless mesh networks serving entire cities towns will be more pervasive in coming years. A wireless mesh network is a local area network that employs one of two connection arrangements, full mesh topology or partial mesh topology. In the full mesh topology, according to Whatis.com, each node (workstation or other device) is connected directly to each of the others. In the partial mesh topology, some nodes are connected to all the others, but some of the nodes are connected only to those other nodes with which they exchange the most data.

In 2005, says a report published by ABI Research, municipal Wi-Fi networks covered only about 3,885 sq. km. Yet by 2010, that figure is expected to increase to over 3,25,000 sq. km) worldwide, the research firm says. The bulk of these deployments will take place in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. And to serve those networks, more than one million wireless mesh routers will be shipped in 2010. The manufacturing revenues from those shipments will exceed $ 1.2 billion.

The report says that the demand for wireless mesh networks will be driven local governments who "clearly wish to deploy municipal broadband networks, for public safety as well as increased government efficiency".

"Wireless mesh networking technology is seen as an efficient and cost-effective means of providing broadband access to underserved areas. This is particularly noticeable as the municipal Wi-Fi trend moves from great metropolises into smaller cities and towns. Potentially, wireless mesh networking technology can serve as a competitive tool for cable operators," the report says.

While municipalities initially faced some regulatory restriction in terms of local government funding or their roles as broadband service network operators, that is less the case today.

That’s not to say that mesh networking is perfect for all municipal broadband network applications. "The majority of municipal Wi-Fi deployments in the recent past have been based on mesh technology. But that could change, depending on how markets receive WiMAX and similar cellular point-to-point technologies when they become available. That is something we’re keeping a close eye on," the research firm says.

"Incumbent service providers are not likely to adopt wireless mesh networking technology for their primary networks," ABI Research cautions, "because it does not provide adequate bandwidth for bundled video, voice, and broadband data. Also, they have already invested significant funds and effort in deploying their current networks."

Air India and Indian are likely to be merged to create a mega-carrier in about a year’s time to take on growing competition from private airlines.

The thinking in the civil aviation ministry is that such a merger to create a single carrier with about 130 aircraft is important to consolidate and optimise the assets of two public sector airlines. But once the ministry formulates the proposal it will go to the Cabinet.

"It is an absolutely logical proposal to consolidate and optimise the use of the assets of the two public sector airlines," civil aviation minister Praful Patel said in an interview.

Maintaining that such a proposal would have to be cleared by the Union Cabinet, he said the merger "should happen within 2006-07". The two airlines were already attempting to synergise their operations, he added.

The merger proposal assumes significance in the context of the global aviation scenario in which mega-mergers have taken place in the recent past between KLM and Air France and Lufthansa and Swiss Air abroad and Jet Airways and Air Sahara in India. The merger would also help the combined entity take on major global players like Singapore Airlines and Emirates. With the planned emergence of world class airports in Delhi and Mumbai and as hubs of its future operations, the merger would help the proposed combine spread its operations, the minister said.