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.
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.
