Wifi Revolution

Looking to solve the capacity, coverage and cost issues impeding metro Wi-Fi deployments, Zhone Technologies (News - Alert), Inc., has introduced SkyZhone, the industry's first metro Wi-Fi system designed to cost effectively deliver high-capacity, high-reliability, multi-service networks. The company claims that by greatly improving overall network capacity, coverage and reliability, SkyZhone revitalizes the viability of metro Wi-Fi networks.

 

SkyZhone is designed to simultaneously serve both licensed public-safety and unlicensed general purpose applications and is available in both combined and standalone configurations of 2.4 GHz or 4.9 GHz. Also, SkyZhone features integrated DSL backhaul and integrated line powering of each radio.

 

Some of the benefits provided by SkyZhone are better network coverage, where SkyZhone's all-MIMO antenna design produces exceptional user device connectivity at distances up to 100 percent greater than solutions using "off-the-shelf" AP technology; no limitations of multi-hop mesh, as SkyZhone's integrated DSL backhaul provides network planners the tools necessary to distribute capacity logically through the network; improved service viability, where revenue opportunities are enhanced to include a wide range of municipal, public-safety, and commercial applications; Telco-grade reliability, as public safety applications demand reliability; support for multimedia and bandwidth intensive applications; support for true multi-service environments; simplified network engineering; and integrated network operations.

 

SkyZhone provides the network engineers the ability to leverage existing network backhaul facilities and greatly expand feasible locations for radio placement and improves the economics of metro Wi-Fi. SkyZhone supports various applications including municipal public safety, video surveillance, consumer use broadband access, and campus/resort environments. The application is currently in trials or already deployed in more than 10 networks globally.

 

SkyZhone was selected by ACD.net, mid-Michigan's largest independent phone and Internet provider, to deploy networks in the cities of Lansing and Springfield, Mich. With this, ACD.net could cost effectively implement 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.

 

“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”

 

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