Ericsson’s MINI-LINK connects Towerstream’s hard-to-reach sites in New York City

2015-09-08 Categories: Industry Technology

• Towerstream will deploy Ericsson’s microwave product MINI-LINK in New York City as part of network expansion
• MINI-LINK provides quick deployment of high-performance connectivity in non-line-of-site (NLOS) situations, when fiber solutions are not viable

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has announced that Towerstream, a leading fixed wireless Fiber Alternative provider, is deploying MINI-LINK in New York City as part of the company’s network expansion project. Ericsson’s high-output microwave radio will give Towerstream immediate access to hard-to-reach sites that require more sophisticated capabilities.

Deploying line-of-sight microwave solutions can be a challenge in New York City given its topography and distance between sites. Towerstream needed a high performance solution and worked with Future Technologies, a third party Ericsson-approved reseller. Towerstream evaluated and selected MINI-LINK based on how it performed in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios.

Arthur Giftakis, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations, Towerstream, says: “Ericsson’s product is the right technology for us at the right time. It directly closes the gap for Towerstream being able to service buildings we traditionally could only get to by either ‘over-building’ on infrastructure or simply not serving the area. By utilizing Ericsson’s technology, we will be able to service deeper into existing urban areas to offer fixed wireless and small cell services while leveraging existing infrastructure without sacrificing capacity or reliability.”

The deployment uses a 28 GHz MINI-LINK PT 2020 to provide a stable 200 Mbps connection in difficult NLOS conditions. Towerstream will now be able to more easily connect hard-to-reach sites throughout the city with fast time to market and at lower cost.

Thomas Norén, Vice President, Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson, says: “Customers today demand consistent, high-quality connectivity. Enterprises wrestle with how to serve those needs and still manage the costs and security of their networks. MINI-LINK is the perfect solution to deliver high-performing networks that grow with your business but also allow reduction in operating costs over traditional wired networks.”

Peter Cappiello President, Future Technologies, says: “The Ericsson PT 2020 provides Towerstream with a strategic solution for Non-Line of Site (NLOS) applications to help them broaden their wireless deployment options beyond traditional microwave solutions.”

Ericsson is the global market leader in microwave technology, with more than 3.2 million microwave radios deployed in 180 countries.

About TowerStream

Towerstream is a leading Fixed Wireless Fiber Alternative provider delivering high speed Internet access to businesses in 12 urban markets across the United States. Through its Hetnets Tower Corp subsidiary (Hetnets), Towerstream also delivers neutral host, shared wireless infrastructure solutions to wireless carriers, cable and Internet companies looking to deploy small cell and Wi-Fi solutions.

About Future Technologies, LLC

Future Technologies Venture, LLC is a professional services company specializing in the assessment, planning, design, implementation, and support of innovative communications solutions. Future Technologies maintains a strong concentration on emerging standards such as Wi-Fi, Small Cell and 4G technologies (UMTS, LTE and Wi-MAX). Through this practice and its knowledge of legacy cellular products (GSM, EVDO, etc.) and Broadband Wireless solutions, Future Technologies consistently distinguishes itself as an industry expert in all aspects of customer network evolution for both private and public network infrastructure projects throughout the US and World. Future Technologies is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

MINI-LINK in NLOS

Deploying high-performance microwave backhaul in places where there is no direct line of sight (LOS) brings new challenges for microwave-backhaul network architects. The traditional belief in the telecom industry is that sub-6GHz frequencies are required to ensure performance in locations where non line of sight (NLOS) conditions exist. To find out more, please see Ericsson review article and NLOS video

Notes to editors

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