Ubiquiti repurposing 802.11 chips for 900MHz mesh

Outdoor wireless networking company Ubiquiti Networks today announced a hi-power 900 MHz mini-PCI radio module for wireless mesh networking applications based on its patent-pending "Frequency Freedom" technology.

The SuperRange9 (SR9) features 700mW output power capability, -93dBm receive sensitivity, "advanced" noise mitigation functionality, and data throughput of up to 54Mbps in OFDM mode. Its operation in the 900MHz band is intended to provide improved range over standard 2.4 and 5 GHz 802.11 solutions in obstructive environments such as downtown metropolitan areas.

The SR9 uses an Atheros AR5213 802.11 MAC/BB IC and is therefore compatible with existing Atheros drivers including the open source Linux MADWIFI driver. In addition, the use of the Atheros chip provides other Atheros features such as 5/10/20 MHz selectable transmit bandwidth, Xtended range, and advanced security protocols such as WPA2.

Ubiquiti said its Frequency Freedom technology uses "non-standard radio integration and firmware design" and standard 802.11 silicon to create a radio platform capable of operating at frequencies up to 60 GHz.

Ubiquiti is initially targeting Wireless Internet Service Providers and Mesh Networking vendors with the SR9, which is fully functional using standard existing 802.11 drivers and comes with FCC modular certification approval.

Broadband CPE ODM Peplink said that its multi-SSID Access Point, PolePoint, and municipal wifi CPE, Surf, will support 900 MHz operation using the SR9.

The SuperRange9 is sampling now and will "soon" be available through distributors at a MSRP of $159 per unit.