The world record for 802.11 data transmission (WiFi) is (at time of going to press) 310km. However this record was set by the Swedish Space Agency using 6W amplifiers and a stratospheric balloon.

Using "naked" out-of-the-box equipment (albeit into dish antennas) and a ground-to-ground link, US radio amateurs achieved a distance of some 200km back in 2005.

With the sllet stopped and the fog lifted, the 2.7m dish oon top of Pico del Aguila stands ready for its part in the world record. The fine rope seen coming from the centre of the dish was used to help aim towards El Baul, 280km away.

Thanks to a favorable topography – high mountains with plains in between – Venezuelans have already achieved some long-range WiFi links, such as the 70km between Pico Espejo and Canagua and a trial 100km link between Maracaibo and Machiques in Zulia State.

But the record books have been re-written by a group in Venezuela with a distance of some 280km.

To put it in an Australian perspective, that’s roughly the distance from Sydney to Canberra!

Here’s how they did it.

To break the record, the first step was to find a clear link path, ideally between two elevated areas with no peaks or other obstructions in between.

Many sites in the Guayana region were looked at – even though the famous "tepuys" (tall mesas with steep walls) looked promising there were always obstacles in the middle ground.