Ixia becomes network validation partner of Broadband Wireless Consortium of India

With an eye to expanding its involvement in the deployment of national wireless and wireline networks, Ixia announced its intention to join the Broadband Wireless Consortium of India (BWCI,) a national forum that gathers major players in the Indian telecom industry to discuss many aspects of broadband wireless access.

Ixia will help BWCI develop technologies that improve the performance, standardization, and deployment of broadband wireless access. The collaboration intends to deploy high-performing, stable, and secure broadband wireless infrastructures in India.

Ixia offers numerous services to companies around the world, such as optimizing 3G and 4G/LTE infrastructures for Carrier companies, testing network and data center resiliency for enterprises, improving security and training cyber warriors on behalf of the government, and aiding equipment manufacturers in speeding up the development of next-generation devices.

The Indian telecom industry can use Ixia solutions test and enhance how their converged, wireless, and wireline networks perform.

In a recent statement, Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi, the chairman of BWCI and Honorary Director of CEWiT, explained that Ixia will be of great assistance in investigating new wireless technologies and finding solutions to their challenges.

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Alvarion aims for 300 Smart Cities with wireless broadband before 2016

In preparation for the 2016 Olympics, Alvarion will deploy wireless broadband solutions in 300 municipalities across 24 different states in Brazil to create “Smart Cities.”

Alvarion’s Smart City initiative aims to transform Brazilian municipalities into networked environments where both public and private organizations can enhance security, healthcare, enterprise, and other opportunities by leveraging carrier-grade wireless broadband technology.

Alvarion started its operations in Brazil in 2000. Six years later, the Company turned the city of Catanduva, in the Sao Paulo State, into the first ever Smart City.

Alvarion ensures the highest standards of security and quality of service when delivering multiple applications on the same network. In addition, its carrier-grade wireless broadband solutions were efficient and cost-effective, making them very attractive and useful for municipalities.

Developing countries have recognized the advantages brought by broadband technology. However, they are also aware of the prohibitive cost of constructing the infrastructure for fixed broadband service.

However, a wireless broadband network -such as the Smart City solutions offered by Alvarion- removes the need to build or lease expensive E1/T1 lines. Alvarion’s solution interconnect government offices, first responders, and other organizations through the use of point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless technology.

The Smart Cities use Alvarion’s BreezeNet B, BreezeACCESS VL, and WBS WiFi solutions. The wireless broadband solutions use multiple frequencies, allowing it to handle multiple applications from a single network. These applications not only generate business opportunities for service providers, but they also serve to deliver medical care, education, and entertainment to rural areas.

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SSI: Northwestel broadband proposal “half-cocked”

The SSI Group is asking the CRTC to veto a Northwestel proposal to build 3G/4G wireless broadband services for consumers in Northern Canada. SSI pounted out that Northwestel will be using a public benefits fund to fund said project.

Back in July, Northwestel presented a plan to the CRTC where the Canadian communications company would use $40 million from a “public benefits” fund. The money for that fund would come from Northwestel's parent company, BCE Inc., which also owns Bell Canada.

BEC was proposing to purchase the Astral Media Inc. telecommunications empire for $3.4 billion. CRTC rules specified that BCE needed to create a “public benefits” fund using 10 per cent of the Astral Media purchase price. The public benefits fund would pay for things the free market cannot normally supply.

The SSI Group is a competitor of Northwestel. SSI offers Qiniq, an Internet by satellite and wireless service, in Nunavut. It plans to offer VoIP services to Nunavut in the future. SSI also provides the similar Airware Internet network service in the Northwest Territories.

Earlier this September, SSI accused Northwestel of planning to use the $40 million not for the benefit of the public, but for Northwestel's own benefit and that of Bell Canada.

Dean Proctor, chief development officer of SSI, pointed out to Nunatsiaq News in an interview that it would be unfair for the largest market player to strengthen its assets in the market using money set aside from the public good.

Northwestel told the CRTC that it would use the Astral benefit funds from BCE to help pay for a five-year modernization plan with a $273 million price tag.

Northwestel's plan is to offer either 3G or 4G wireless service to the 96 communities and three territories its serves. Northwestel customers will be able to use Apple or Android OS-powered smart phones and tablet devices.

The plan will also allow Northwestel to bring broadband Internet to 79 under-served communities. Its wireless broadband services will reportedly be capable of download speeds of at least 5 Mps.

SSI countered that BCE and Northwestel have not proven that residents of Northern Canada will be able to afford 3G/4G wireless and broadband Internet services. Calling the Northwestel proposal “half-cocked,” Mr. Proctor said that the real issue in Northern Canada is the cost of satellite transponder space.

Mr. Dean Proctor cited SSI's wireless modems used by Qiniq customers in Nunavut as an example. Those modems can offer up to 6 Mbps in terms of combined download and upload speeds. However, Mr. Proctor noted that Qiniq customers simply could not afford using wireles and satellite broadband for extended periods of time. Customers would likewise find Northwestel's planned services too expensive.

He also pointed out that Bell's proposal did not indicate how it would make satellite costs more affordable. “They don’t have a solution for it,” Mr. Proctor said.

Mr. Proctor likewise scoffed at Northwestel’s 4G plan. Again citing SSI’s existing wireless network service -which Proctor says can provide speeds comparable to 4G,- he says that Nunavut customers will only be able to pay for such services through subsidies provided by the government. According to Mr. Proctor, Bell should instead design an entirely new system.

Finally, Mr. Proctor pointed out that public benefits funds are normally used to pay for things like the production of independent television.

O2 Secure Wireless begins testing new broadband equipment in Florida

The city of Palm Coast, Florida will get first dibs on the cutting-edge wireless broadband equipment that O2 Secure Wireless, Inc. has just installed.

O2 has recently completed a fiber backhaul rollout at its corporate retail location in Palm Coast. The company is now building wireless tower facilities throughout the U.S.

Palm Coast hosts a market potential of around 55,000 households. O2 has secured a Service Network Agreement for the region.

In a recent statement, O2 reported that they will test their new wireless broadband network over the next 60 days. Points of interest include the total area covered by their new towers, the signal strength for indoor and outdoor coverage, and the different antennas and amplifiers involved.

O2 intends to test their equipment in its various configurations. After the equipment meets -or, preferably, exceeds- expectations, O2 will approve the equipment purchase. It will then start building up wireless broadband infrastructure in Palm Coast.

In order to raise capital for its projects in Florida (as well as those in the Dominican Republic,) O2 increased the share structure from 1.5 billion to eight billion shares.

This is O2's latest step in establishing a brand identity. The company participated in many community events in the Palm Coast area. It also recently announced a contract with BigHeadTV, as well as the execution of national resale agreements.

“We are very excited to have reached this landmark in our strategy to build a presence in the Palm Coast territory,” said Val Kazia, president of O2 Secure Wireless. “These tests will allow us to have 'real' coverage data.”

According to Ms. Kazia, O2's original coverage models suggested a minimum of 12 sites. “We refined that down to seven sites,” she said, “but once the evaluation is complete we will be able to determine the precise coverage requirement in order to deliver the best quality product to the consumer.”

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