Telsima Launches A Combo 450 Mhz-700 MHz Wireless Access System

The frequencies are attractive for use in rural areas with low populations or for operators planning countrywide access, the company says.

W. David Gardner, Contributor

December 14, 2007

2 Min Read
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As companies jockey for position in advance of January's 700-MHz wireless auction by the FCC, attention is focusing on technologies that will help winning bidders deliver services and features.

The issue was joined this week by Telsima Corp., which unveiled its WiMax 450/700-MHz BWA (broadband wireless access) Solution. The two bands -- 450 MHz and 700 MHz -- function in coveted spectrum that provides extensive reach, which is fueling interest in the auction. In addition, Google has said it plans to bid in the 700-MHz auction.

"While 700 MHz is potentially a wide-open opportunity for the introduction of a wide array of new technologies, the 450-MHz band is well along in its development," said Joe Nordgaard, managing director of wireless consultancy Spectral Advantage. Nordgaard added that the 450-MHz band will continue to enjoy deployment in developing economies, including India, where Telsima introduced its technology Thursday.

In launching the 450-MHz/700-MHz BWA Solution, Telsima's CTO, Burcak Beser, said the technology has an advantage over 3.5-GHz-based broadband wireless access systems.

The "450-MHz and 700-MHz bands have excellent signal propagation characteristics, a fact that makes them ideal choices for communication networks," Beser said in a statement. "Compared to the typical 3.5-GHz-based BWA systems, a sub-gigahertz band based network requires approximately 18 times less infrastructure per square kilometer coverage." Beser noted that the two bands are particularly attractive for use in rural areas with low populations or for operators planning countrywide access.

Telsima, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., said the WiMax 450/700-MHz platform can deliver VoIP, video services, and high-speed data.

Nordgaard, who has assisted in the deployment of 450-MHz networks in several countries, said combo 450/700 products could be attractive for the Indian market. "India is a vast potential market so it is clearly an opportunity," he said. "The bottom line is really that the 450-MHz licensees will have to be convinced as to which technology path they will pursue."

Noting that virtually all 450-MHz networks utilize CDMA2000 and that the band is in relatively full use in the United States, Nordgaard said the combo 450/700 systems will have to be proven in the U.S. marketplace before they can gain wide acceptance.

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