BellSouth is launching a trial of Navini Networks’ wireless broadband technology in Daytona, Florida. Trial participants use a small desktop wireless unit, connected to either an Ethernet or USB port on their PC, which provides a high-speed, wireless link between a BellSouth transmission tower and users’ computers. The trial will be in the 2.3 GHz WCS band, for which BellSouth holds FCC licenses throughout the Southeast, and will offer speeds similar to wireline DSL with approximate download speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps. BellSouth said it is considering using the wireless solution to increase its broadband footprint in its nine-state service area in the southeastern US.
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http://www.navini.com
- Navini Networks’ Ripwave 2.4 GHz (unlicensed) and 2.6 GHz (MMDS) broadband wireless access platform uses Multi-Carrier Synchronous Beamforming technology to provide non-line-of-sight access at broadband data rates for up to 1000 users per antenna face. The company claims up to 50% lower total-cost-of-ownership than DSL or cable networks, and up to 70% lower total-cost-of-ownership than previous fixed wireless systems.
- Navini Networks was founded in early 2000 by Wu-Fu Chen and Dr. Guanghan Xu, a former professor at the University of Texas at Austin, School of Electrical Engineering. The company has raised $66.5 million in funding and is based in Richardson, Texas.