Wi-fi devices - laptops, PSPs, iPhones - have become nearly ubiquitous. But wi-fi access has not. Airplanes, airports, trains, buses... there are many places where wifi access is expensive, impractical or impossible. Bypassing the internet-at-large, Media Res Servers are "local media servers" which broadcast canned media to wi-fi devices over several hundred yards. Someone with an iPhone, for example, can now enjoy broadcast content on the subway.

In July of 02007, A&E and Southwest Airlines licensed Media Res Servers in an exclusive deal. Southwest Airlines has no in-flight entertainment on its flights, so A&E is providing their programs free of charge to Southwest passengers. A&E programs are now available to any Southwest passenger without requiring any physical distribution or staffing; passengers simply access the server like any other wi-fi network, and then download their favorite shows to their device.

Media Res Servers are being rolled out with several media channels and scenarios over the next few months, and can accomodate hundreds of simultaneous users with high-bandwidth capacity.

Media Res Servers were developed with custom hardware and software.

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