Wireless broadband within everyone's reach

Networking is one of the key factors in the operations of Finnish science parks. This has also been the guiding principle for SparkNet, a wireless network created in the Turku region – and in terms of user numbers and base stations, the largest wireless network deployed in Finland.

Some of the region’s most influential organisations are collaborating in the SparkNet project: the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration, ICT Turku Ltd and MP-MasterPlanet Ltd. ICT Turku Ltd, is a subsidiary of Turku Science Park, whose mission is to speed up growth of the ICT cluster in Southwest Finland.

“The OpenSpark concept is an added-value service provided by broadband users, who make connections available to users not only at home but also elsewhere. A member of the OpenSpark community has the opportunity of using Finland’s largest public WLAN network, SparkNet, at no extra charge,” explains MP-MasterPlanet Ltd’s Managing Director Matti Kiviö. MP-MasterPlanet is responsible for the maintenance and development of SparkNet.

Jaakko Kuosmanen.

In the maelstrom of the digital revolution

ICT Turku Ltd’s Managing Director Jaakko Kuosmanen prefers to talk about a digital revolution rather than an information society. “An information society is an odourless, tasteless and intangible concept. A digital revolution describes it better. In Turku, we’ve set out to push the revolution forwards by means of wireless systems – namely, SparkNet for organisations and companies, and OpenSpark for home users.”

Kuosmanen believes that a digital revolution needs pervasive information technology that is deployed everywhere. In practice, he means deploying broadband connections everywhere, and making them available to everyone at a reasonably low price.

“SparkNet leans heavily on Wi-Fi, or WLAN, network technology, which so far is the only wireless network technology using free spectrum that does not require a licence. Its other strengths are that is also cheap and has high capacity,” says Kuosmanen.

Joining the OpenSpark community of wireless network users means making use of your own wireless base station available to the community. Each member of the community receives one user ID. With this ID, the user can access the Internet from all base stations in OpenSpark’s operational area. Likewise, SparkNet users can use all the base stations in the operational area. The network can be used via laptop or palmtop computers, WLAN-enabled mobile phones and all terminals with WLAN capabilities, such as cameras and game consoles.

“With a landline network, broadband access is only available at set points, but a wireless network covers a whole area. Although broadband uptake is rapidly approaching 100%, the networks can generally only be used at home or at work. SparkNet and OpenSpark cover homes and company offices as well as public buildings, so they’re almost ubiquitous,” Kuosmanen points out.

Collaborative network is a new self-service model for the ICT sector

“Through collaboration we created the necessary services and technology that enable public sector organisations, private companies and home users to participate together in implementing the network. Each participant allows the community to use his/her data transfer capacity on a voluntary teamwork basis. This voluntary teamwork is not, however, a hobby but a professionally managed business.”

In Kuosmanen’s opinion, collaborative networks are a new self-service model for the telecommunications sector. The idea is based on there being no need to build a new physical network. Instead, the solution utilises network capacity that is already built and paid for.

“SparkNet and OpenSpark are a “you-hold-the-keys” solution which can be implemented anywhere that organisations and households are willing to cooperate,” he emphasises. SparkNet is the solution for organisations and OpenSpark the solution for home users.

Further information:

• Jaakko Kuosmanen, Managing Director, ICT Turku Ltd, tel. +358-400- 536 086
• Matti Kiviö, Managing Director, MP-Masterplanet Ltd, tel. +358-40- 582 1390
• www.sparknet.fi

Text: Pia Pere-Vanhanen

Photos: Riikka Erkko

Updated January 26th, 2006