Last week, wireless Internet was brought to a 1.5-mile stretch of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston. Anaptyx, a three-year-old startup based in Watertown, Mass., was the company that set it up. It is the biggest WiFi project the startup has worked on to date.

The company helps equip communities with free or low-cost wireless. Co-founders Kenneth Carnesi and Jonathan Rust originally conceived of the idea after becoming sick of dealing with internet service providers and paying high monthly fees in college. Anaptyx is also the company behind the free wireless made available in Harvard Square two years ago.

“Harvard Square allowed us to be creative with the way we integrate technology into the city environment,” said Brendan Burroughs, the Chief Product Developer. Another exciting development for Bostonians is that Anaptyx is currently working with the City of Boston to set up wireless in the Boston Common.

According to Burroughs, studies have shown that one of the main things people look for when moving into a new community is data connection and whether wireless Internet is offered. “Wireless technology is now almost equivalent to heat and hot water,” said Burroughs. Many people are not even aware this option exists because it is such a new concept, so part of the challenge is educating the public, which Anaptyx have done by attending trade shows and condo board meetings.

The wireless Internet the startup provides is faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than that of traditional wireless providers such as Verizon and Comcast.

The company has created a product called Anaptyx Mesh that integrates wireless networks in large-scale apartment complexes and condo buildings. Its wireless networks are hosted remotely in a cloud rather than on a physical server. Managers log in to a website to manage and tweak the network. There are several advantages to this system including no additional equipment to purchase, no monthly leasing fee, and no setup. Additionally, using Anaptyx saves managers money since all residents are able to access the same network. Furthermore, Anaptyx monitors the network in real time and provides round the clock support.

In terms of core business, Anaptyx installs a 200 MB business class line into residential buildings, which is much faster than the 3 MB line residents would typically install and pay for on an individual basis. “It’s a no-brainer when deploying a wireless network on a large scale,” said Burroughs. “In the past, people have spent twice as much to get a similar quality on a lesser wireless network.” Residents also save money on their electric bills. A typical home network modem uses 30-48 watts of electricity. Each access point or router on Anaptyx only uses 7-14 watts of electricity. Furthermore, each access point can cover 3-4 apartments.

Anaptyx is also exploring solar powered wireless, which is currently used in Harvard Square and at the Greenway. Burroughs sees solar power as a way for companies to reinforce and solidify a “green image.” Anaptyx donated four wireless solar access points to fill in the gaps in service on the Greenway.

One of the biggest industry challenges, according to Burroughs, is providing a true mesh network that can operate on an 11n (currently the fastest) or higher data network. Phones and other services like cable cannot be offered on networks with g level (i.e. lower level) speeds. Over the past several months, Anaptyx has been researching and developing a 802.11 mesh product, which it hopes to release by the end of the summer. If successful, Anaptyx would be the first company to provide this technology to consumers and would be much more capable of competing with big service providers like Verizon and Comcast. However, it’s a race to the finish line since all providers are trying to be the first to develop networks that function at this faster speed.

What do you think about the company’s ability to leverage the cloud and network meshing to deliver more wide-spread WiFi connections? How will the mobile landscape change when WiFi is available in entire cities? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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