Northwest Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC) provides grant to pilot project to build mesh/backhaul/longhaul box: The project is backed by the Portland Research and Education Network (PREN) which is working with JoeJava's Nigel Ballard to develop the MRU. This grant brings their total research money to $30,000, which is enough to build out and test a significant network.
There are many facets to the idea, which combines three radios: a WiMax one for long-haul (currently being provided in a similar-but-pre-WiMax state), one for mesh backhaul among devices using 802.11a, and one that supports 802.11b/g for local client access. Nigel's goal is a self-contained environmentally protected NEMA4 case...fed by internal deep-cycle batteries, a photovoltaic solar panel, with the main feed being AC power.
Ideally, this could become the way in which the less-developed world unwires itself for data, voice, and media.