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Airspan Completes Connectivity Project in the Dominican Republic
TMCnet VoIP Minute Watch Columnist
Wireless access and VoIP systems provider Airspan Networks Inc. and BEC Telecom S.A. (BEC-TEL), a local carrier in the Dominican Republic, announced on Friday that the companies have completed the deployment of a large scale rural connectivity network under the Dominican Republic's Rural Public Telephony Phase II Project and the initiation of commercial operations.
Users of the new network will be able to make and receive local, national and international calls using a network based on fixed and mobile wireless technologies that also provide Internet access and VoIP-based services. Townships in the provinces of La Altagracia, Hato Mayor, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monseñor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Peravia, Valverde, La Vega, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Santiago and Santo Domingo are currently being served through the project.
"BEC-TEL has taken on the duty of operating and maintaining the installed network for a period of 10 years, and will provide telecommunications services in areas never before served by other carriers in the Dominican Republic based on the most advanced technologies at a reasonable prices," said Giora Oron, chief executive officer of BEC-TEL.
BEC-TEL integrated two complementary wireless technologies: cellular, and the digital point-to-multipoint radios purchased from Airspan. The Airspan equipment operates in the 3.5GHz and 5.8GHz bands. BEC-TEL owns a licensed band in the 3.5GHz band that it is using for last-mile access with Airspan's WipLL products. Airspan also supplied a significant portion of BEC-TEL backbone infrastructure using its AS3030 product in the 5.8GHz band. All the Airspan's wireless equipment connects with its AS.Tone softswitch and gateways to enable VoIP services.
BEC-TEL also recently announced it began field trials using Airspan's newest MacroMAX 3.5GHz product, the industry's first 802.16-2004 product designed to be certified by the WiMAX Forum. BEC-TEL thus becomes the first operator in the Dominican Republic to introduce WiMAX technologies. BEC-TEL will use Airspan's WiMAX products to enhance its broadband offerings to corporate and residential customers in the country.
"We are very pleased that our support of BEC-TEL during the last year culminated in a successful integrated deployment of our broad range of broadband access, WiMAX, wireless backbone and VoIP products into a combined seamless platform that enables the provision of data and voice services. We have developed an unparalleled product portfolio and skill-set for rural wireless deployments, which brings significant value to rural operators. As a result, we have become the vendor of choice for projects of this nature," noted Amit Ancikovsky, vice president & general manager, Latin America for Airspan.
In a move to expand its WiMAX/WiFi offering, broadband wireless access provider Airspan announced last month that it acquired Radionet Oy Ltd. of Finland, a provider of municipal wireless hotzones, community networks, and mobile broadband systems for industrial applications.
With this transaction Airspan added an extra asset to its already broad portfolio of wireless access products, including its recently announced AS.MAX product family that is compliant with the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard (WiMAX) and upgradeable to the 802.16e version of the standard. The wireless product portfolio can also be combined with Airspan's i-Tone softswitching platform, to deliver integrated VoIP services. Airspan claims to have deployed network equipment with a capacity exceeding 1 million lines in more than 95 countries.
BEC Telecom S.A.
Airspan Networks, Inc.
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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne Torres' columnist page.
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