The WiMAX contract is for network expansion and the deployment of several units of customer premises equipments (CPEs) awarded thorough I.C.E’s local partner, Datatell 3000 de Costa Rica.
I.C.E’s network, which is operating in the 3.5 GHz band, is made up of Airspan HiperMAX base stations and a combination of Pro outdoor installed CPEs and Easy self-install desktop units. The entire unit composes a large WiMAX network offering a broad range of next-generation applications, the company said.
Airspan's WiMAX product range comprises HiperMAX, MacroMAX and MicroMAX base stations; mobile WiMAX user devices; and indoor and outdoor CPEs that also integrate Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies.
The WiMAX technology has been carefully chosen to deliver IEEE (
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Alert) 802.16e-2005 Mobile WiMAX, the company said. It also provides operators with a cost effective and future-proof evolution path from fixed to mobile WiMAX profiles.
Airspan’s WiMAX platform offers all the benefits of multi-vendor interoperability, decreasing CPE costs, WiMAX enabled handheld device portability with roaming and indoor, self install CPE economics, thus heralding a new era of inexpensive, ubiquitous broadband wireless access anytime, everywhere, the company claims.
Airspan also provides a range of Wi-Fi products for professional metro-wide Wi-Fi hot zone and backhaul solutions. These solutions, along with their WiMAX products, deploy robust mix of combined WiMAX and Wi-Fi hot zones to support citywide roaming for current and future generation of portable devices.
“Incumbent carriers such as I.C.E. continue to select Airspan to solve their broadband connectivity needs,” said Eric Stonestrom, Airspan's president and chief executive officer, in a statement. “We are helping these operators quickly deploy field-proven networks whether overcoming challenging terrain, serving diverse demographics, or providing a quick return on aggressive business models.”
Despite the challenging economic times, the business case for wireless broadband connectivity around the world remains compelling, says Stonestrom.
Apart from the WiMAX equipment deployment, I.C.E. also receives services for network installation, management and maintenance as well as radio planning.
Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.