3Com intros building-to building 802.11 bridges

3Com Corp. introduced thus week 802.11g building-to-building wireless bridges that allow customers to connect two or more buildings through secure, high-speed wireless connections. The bridges enable users to save on the costs of wiring or re-wiring between buildings within 10 miles of each other, the company said.

Two flavors are available—a fixed, self-enclosed outdoor bridge and an indoor bridge with a variety of antenna options. Various businesses, schools, government offices or healthcare facilities can use the building-to-building wireless bridges to transfer information and images, provide reliable Internet access, and support mobile users as a cost-effective extension of a central network, the company said.

Traditionally, building-to-building connections were achieved by digging trenches and running fiber (at up to 10 times the cost of a wireless bridge), or by provisioning T1 lines (at a fraction of the bandwidth, yet with significant monthly service charges) between buildings, or using slower 802.11b wireless bridging equipment, 3Com said