The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew are set to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 2:38 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 4 and it is scheduled to land on July 16, 2006. At least two space walks are planned.

The Kennedy Space Center has deployed a Wi-Fi mesh networking solution including a Nortel Wireless Mesh Network and an integrated operations support system (OSS) platform provided by Pronto Networks for its press site.

With this network, reporters on the ground at the six-acre NASA Press Site will have the flexibility to use their wireless-enabled laptops and handheld computing devices to seamlessly and securely access the Internet, e-mail, file sharing and other applications. The Wireless Mesh Network will provide reporters with secure and continuous access to the network while moving throughout the observation area, increasing productivity by allowing them to report on the story in real-time.

Together with Nortel's mobility solution, Pronto Networks' fully integrated OSS platform will enable the complete wireless network to ‘go live'. Pronto Networks key capabilities for this deployment include user registration, secure authentication, subscriber management, flexible billing, customer portal customization, and remote network management. Pronto Networks is enabling all the back-office functionality for the wireless network and is hosting the service from its data center in San Jose, California.

A description of our Service deployment for NASA last year is available here.

There are multiple ways in which Wi-Fi operators can monetize their networks such as:

• Ad supported network as a means of offering free Wi-Fi to users through "context-sensitive" ads that help a service provider tap into alternative channels of generating revenues
• Flexible service plans, that are customizable on following basis:
• By the minute, hour, day, month, year
• By volume (i.e., Kbps)
• By flat rate per month per location
• Automated billing options including prepaid, that allow service providers to create customized offering that combines web based account activation, account refill options using vouchers, etc.

Monetize your Wi-Fi network through location-based ads… To Wi-Fi your event, send inquiries to sales@prontonetworks.com