Municipal Wireless Market Takes Flight over Last 12 Months
-----------------------------------------------------
The municipal wireless market is gaining momentum as government
initiatives to provide large access networks are moving into the trial
stage and WiMax technology matures.
Nortel's WiMax solution is being tested by Chunghwa Telecom in Yilan,
Taiwan, as part of the local government's Mobile Taiwan project. In
addition to deploying a mobile WiMax network in this northeastern
county, Nortel is also deploying a WiMax network at the National Taiwan
University campus and at an expiremental park in Taipei. Nortel's
wireless solution includes its own MIMO antenna technology, enabling
provisioning for voice services over WiMax.
The Mobile Taiwan project aims to provide broadband access coverage to 8
million residents or 80% of the urban population.
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has also chosen
Nortel's WiMax solution as it moves to test wireless technologies for
its Next Generation Broadband Strategy 2010 initiative, which includes a
vision to provide broadband access services across the country within
the next 4 years. Nortel's base stations for both fixed and mobile
WiMax will be initially tested in Ishinomaki, a port city on Honshu
Island in Tohuku's Miyagi Prefecture.
Nortel's WiMax equipment is also being tested by carriers in Germany,
Canada, Greece, Russia, and Mexico.
Fintel, a telecom service provider owned by the Fiji government and
Cable and Wireless, will deploy Alvarion's WiMax technology in the
capital city of Suva, with plans to expand the deployment to more than
330 islands in the south Pacific achipelago.
Alvarion's most recent WiMax solutions support both WiMax and Wi-Fi.
The company's BreezeMAX solution has been deployed in more than 200
installations in more than 80 countries.
As WiMax technology emerges, municipal WiFi networks continue to be
deployed throughout the world. Recently, Omni-Directional Communication
Products Oy chose to implement InspiAir's Wi-Fi network in Helsinki.
InspiAir's solution is an alternative to mesh networks, in that the
vendor's system employs a 802.11 algorithm known as Virtual Transmission
Manager, which enables a municipal Wi-Fi to require fewer access points
than a mesh system. The company also claims the technology provides
superior network performance.
In the U.S., Galaxy Internet Services announced that it would be
deploying Strix Systems' wireless mesh network in Brookline,
Massachusetts. Strix's technology supports long-range 4.9 GHz
capability using the DSRC mask, which provides double the coverage area
compared to standard 4.9 GHz.
According to MuniWireless.com, municipal wireless network deployments in
the U.S. have increased from 38 in July of 2005 to 68 in September of
this year. Planned deployments (RFP and RFI issuances) have increased
from 34 to 135 over the same period. To view a detailed list of cities
and counties that have deployed municipal networks, check out
MuniWireless.com's research at:
http://www.muniwireless.com/reports/docs/Sept-10-2006summary.pdf
The IP Pulse
<iptelephony.org>
--
WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless
Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
