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PanOULU Network opened
The City of Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu Polytechic and Oulun Puhelin published today their joint panOULU (public access network OULU) network in the Pakkala Hall at the Oulu City Library. The panOULU network is based on a cooperation agreement signed at the publication by Mayor Kari Nenonen, Rector Lauri Lajunen, Rector Lauri Lantto and Managing Director Risto Siivola.
The above-mentioned parties have cost-efficiently combined their existing guest networks into the panOULU network, which covers the campuses of the University of Oulu and Oulu Polytechnic, the Oulu City Centre and the market place area, as well as the City Library. In its coverage area, the panOULU network provides the clients of these parties with a wireless broadband Internet connection, by which they can use the network and its services with their own devices regardless of their location.
The number of users in the network is large: it can be used by the customers of Oulu City Library (66,000), the personnel and students of the University of Oulu (18,000), the personnel and students of Oulu Polytechnic (9,000) and the Baana Laajakaista clients of Oulun Puhelin. In addition, the cooperating parties may provide their guests with temporary user accounts with which they can access the network. Whether measured by the number of users or the extent of the coverage, panOULU is the largest wireless public network in Finland.
The panOULU network consists of a group of wireless local area networks (WLAN) both indoors and outdoors. Currently the panOULU network includes 140 WLAN base stations, which utilise not only the commonly used IEEE 802.11b technology but also the new, more capable IEEE 802.11a technology in certain indoor premises. The customers of the cooperating parties can use the panOULU network with their own devices, such as laptop computers containing WLAN cards, without an extra fee. Traffic in the panOULU network is uncyphered, and a secure connection can be obtained with appropriate software.
The panOULU network supports
- close cooperation between the parties in developing the knowledge and resources in the ICT business in the Oulu region – the network allows their clients to access the network and the services wirelessly also outside the network of their own organisation and in the Oulu City Centre
- information society development in the city of Oulu by offering a network infrastructure especially for developing and using wireless network services.
In the future the panOULU network will expand so that it will become a citizens’ network as suggested by its name*:
- The City of Oulu will construct guest networks also in other premises owned by the City, such as educational facilities.
- Oulu enterprises have the opportunity to expand the panOULU network to cover their premises by a WLAN product package offered by Oulun Puhelin; it includes one or more WLAN base stations, a fixed network connection, installation and maintenance. The price of the package (installation + monthly fee) is determined according to the number of WLAN base stations.
- Organisations have the possibility to give donations to support the construction of the Rotuaari WLAN outdoor network (currently covering the Oulu City Centre and the market place) belonging to the panOULU network. A donation in the value of 2,000 euros given to the University of Oulu covers the hardware investments and installation expenses for one base station. In return, the donating organisation gets an advertisement space for one year on the login page of the Rotuaari WLAN network, 1,000 guest authorisation cards with a printed logo of the organisation, and positive coverage in connection with the panOULU network.
The Rotuaari WLAN outdoor network has been built in cooperation between the Rotuaari project and Oulun Puhelin. The Department of Electrical and Information Engineering at the University of Oulu is responsible foe implementing the Kampus WLAN.
*Pan- Pan-, Panta- Pan"ta-, Panto- Pan"to- [Gr. ?, m., ?,neut., gen. ?, all.] Combining forms signifying all, every; as, panorama, pantheism, pantagraph, pantograph.
More information:
www.panoulu.net
Added: 15/10/2003
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