"To understand the solution, you first have to understand the problem.

In this case the solution comes from GigaBeam, a Herndon, Va. firm claiming to offer a fast and cost-efficient wireless "alternative to fiber."

The problem lies in the nature of Wi-Fi, which is inherently slower than fiber, and which is hindered by issues of bandwidth capacity. It can be difficult and expensive to bring adequate bandwidth to a cluster of interconnected Wi-Fi access points such as one might find deployed in an urban environment. "If you cobble together several Wi-Fi cells, you end up needing backhaul" to serve those cells, explains GigaBeam CEO Lou Slaughter."