Recently a poster asked about wireless mesh networks for a neighborhood
setup up. While not knocking the technology, some people have really advised
against such a system. My question especially in regards to dual band radios
is why??
Take for example a rural setting of approx 100 users who want to share a
satellite connection out of the village. The buildings are close enough
where you can use a dual band radio to act as an access point, and as a
backhaul link on two different frequency bands, and then connect out to the
satellite. The users realize that this is a shared medium, and due to to
cost of satellite bandwidth, high bandwidth intensive applications are
expected to run poorly as more people are on line at the same time. But for
generic email and surfing patterns, this kind of network runs good enough.
Now of course when such systems are set up, we reduce power and use terrain
and buildings to attenuate the signals to limit self interference, along
with frequency planning (actually channel planning). This results in a
system where the SNR is acceptable to the receivers to give the clients a
decent connection. I am thinking that properly planned and implemented a
wireless mesh network will work for a small geograpical area where buildings
are close together.
Of course for some larger villages where people are separted by a distance,
we use a combinaton of wimax base stations and mesh as needed. For small
rural areas this appears to fit the solution of providing access to people.
Now you must also realize that this villages are not on a road system, and
the only way in is by small prop planes or barge.
Wireless mesh as a partial solution 
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