KT (Korea Telecom) launched a 2.3 GHz “portable” broadband wireless trial this month in Seoul using equipment from Navini Networks. KT already operates the largest public Wi-Fi network in the world (over 8,000 hot-spots, growing to 16,000 by year’s end). KT will test the extension of those hot spots using Navini Ripwave equipment. The field trial uses spectrum defined by the Korean government as high-speed wireless Internet service called PI (Portable Internet). Navini uses phased-array smart antennas with beamforming capabilities and multi-carrier synchronous CDMA (MC-SCDMA) to provide capacity, range, speed and spectral efficiency. Trial participants will be provided with multimegabit access via a new PCMCIA modem.
http://www.navini.com
- Over the past several months, Navini has announced deployments and trials of its Ripwave products with the following companies: BellSouth (Daytona, Florida); IBAX (Italy); IntroWeb (The Netherlands); Irish Broadband (Dublin); Liberty Technologies (Panama); Rioplex Wireless (Rio Grande Valley, Texas); Sprint (Houston, Texas); WINTEL (Trinidad and Tobago); and YourInter.Net (Indiana, Pennsylvania).
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In April 2003, Navini Networks, a start-up based in Richardson, Texas, raised an additional $25 million in Series C funding for its non-line-of-sight, wireless broadband technology. Austin Ventures, Granite Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Sternhill Partners, all existing investors in the company, led the new round of financing. The company has raised $91 million to date.
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Navini’s 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.