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Intel, already a strong presence in encouraging municipal broadband, took another step in that direction on August 18, 2005, with the announcement that Pronto Networks, a leading provider of carrier-class operations support systems (OSS) for managing large-scale Wi-Fi hot spot and hot zone networks, would now be a part of Intel’s Digital Communities initiative designed to help communities use a wireless infrastructure to expand and improve services for municipal governments, businesses and citizens. 

Broadband Wireless Access World spoke today with Jasbir Singh, CEO of Pronto Networks, about his company and about its cooperation with Intel in the Digital Communities initiative. Also discussed during the course of that conversation were a number of issues related to the deployment of wireless broadband and other broadband networks in cities in the U.S.

Mr. Singh also discussed the integration of landline and wireless broadband infrastructure, as well as the integration of Wi-Fi and the emerging WiMAX system for delivering wireless broadband connectivity.

You can listen to that conversation with Jasbir Singh at Pronto Networks in its entirety by clicking here.

You can also listen to the August 24, 2005, Broadband Wireless Access World interview with Paul Butcher, Marketing Manager of the State and Local Government group at Intel Americas, Inc., in its entirety by clicking here.

Intel's Digital Communities initiative is designed to speed the deployment of powerful broadband wireless networks as a tool for municipal development and user access. It already involves these cities:

Cleveland, Ohio; Corpus Christi, Texas; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Taipei, Taiwan; Portland, Oregon; Mangaratiba, Brazil; Düsseldorf, Germany; Gyor, Hungary; Jerusalem, Israel; Principality of Monaco; Seoul, South Korea; Osaka, Japan; and Westminster, United Kingdom.

Cisco, Dell, IBM and SAP are joined in the Digital Communities program by Accela, Airpath Wireless, Alvarion, British Telecom, CapGemini, CDW Government, Inc (CDW-G), Check Point, Civitium, EarthLink, iMove, Panasonic Computer Solutions Company, Pronto Networks, Szintezis Rt., Telindus, Tropos and Vertex.

Intel is also working closely with Muniwireless.com, an online site devoted to municipal wireless broadband, detailing the return on investment that local governments can realize from technology deployment. In conjunction with the Intel Digital Communities initiative, Muniwireless created a solutions library with case studies that highlights how applications can help governments increase productivity, save money and improve services.

Additional information on Intel’s Digital Communities initiative and pilot communities is available at http://www.intel.com/go/digitalcommunities.