ARAD Technologies has created a system to deploy and manage an integrated Wi-Fi system on a citywide scale, using a fixed data network that enables automated meter reading and support applications for local utilities.

In order to establish full coverage for a "Fix" network, we combine Wi-Fi networks workong side by side with a 916 MHz network. The Wi-Fi network is used to transfer meter data between Repeaters and the Concentrator, and supply full coverage encompassing the entire meter installation area.

The Wi-Fi network is implemented using the latest technologies; (MESH, 5 GHz Transmitters) and manufactured by well established, reliable equipment suppliers (Alvarion, Cisco etc.).

The existence of such a standard communication network benefits the utility with a range of extra services based on the existing infrastructure (Security cameras, alarms etc.) with no need for dedicated equipment (standard 802.11b\g).

Security

All access points support 802.11i, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2, and numerous Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) types. WPA and WPA2 are the Wi-Fi Alliance certifications for interoperable, standards-based WLAN security. These certifications support IEEE 802.1X for user-based authentication, Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for WPA encryption, and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for WPA2 encryption. These certifications help to ensure interoperability between Wi-Fi-certified WLAN devices from different manufacturers .