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Zhone Unveils Metro Wi-Fi Solution(Wireless News Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Zhone Technologies, a provider of multi-service access solutions, has introduced SkyZhone a metro Wi-Fi system designed to deliver high-capacity, high-reliability, multi-service networks. The company said that SkyZone features: - Industry's first metro Wi-Fi solution to utilize 802.11n, all-MIMO antenna architecture, integrated DSL backhaul, and line powering. - Design to address the challenges most directly affecting system operational costs and performance. - Provides capacity and reliability to deliver true, municipal and commercial, multi-service Wi-Fi networks. Zhone stated that SkyZhone revitalizes the viability of metro Wi-Fi networks by increasing overall network capacity, coverage and reliability when compared to the traditional solutions used in many of the first outdoor Wi-Fi projects. The system also enhances the economics of metro Wi-Fi by giving network engineers the ability to leverage existing network backhaul facilities and greatly expand feasible locations for radio placement. As of the middle of last year, hundreds of municipalities worldwide had planned public Wi-Fi projects. However, network performance and reliability issues combined with the costs of building and managing ground-up networks have greatly hampered deployments, said Steven Glapa, Zhone's vice president of marketing and product management. Zhone addressed these challenges head-on with SkyZhone, which, for the first time gives network operators the means to utilize Wi-Fi to deliver a truly capable and reliable multi-service network . Zhone's numerous new technology innovations can fundamentally expand the viability of metro Wi-Fi as a consistent mainstream access medium, said Ron Westfall, Research Director, Access and Applications, for Current Analysis. SkyZhone gives service providers and municipalities a new tool to deliver on the promise of metro Wi-Fi by supplying the essential reliability, improved high-bandwidth performance and enhanced coverage needed to support and scale competitive metro Wi-Fi services. ACD.net, a Mid-Michigan independent Phone and Internet Provider, selected SkyZhone to deploy networks in the cities of Lansing and Springfield, Michigan. In Lansing, the capital city of Michigan - SkyZhone's all-MIMO design enabled ACD.net to economically deploy a multi-use network serving public safety services using 4.9GHz and high-bandwidth consumer Wi-Fi for video, voice and data in the 2.4GHz band. In neighboring Springfield, ACD.net is utilizing the system to delivery Internet access at subsidized rates for residents in a 6 square mile portion of the city. Zhone has taken Wi-Fi to a new level of performance and capability, said Kevin Schoen, CEO of ACD.net. SkyZhone opened up key new market opportunities in the public sector for us and renewed the viability of Wi-Fi as a multimedia consumer service. ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) ((Distributed on behalf of 10Meters via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com)) ((10Meters - http://www.10meters.com)) Copyright ? 2008 Wireless News |