07-28-2008
Harrisburg tower proposed for wireless Internet
HARRISBURG - A proposal for a wireless broadband tower in Harrisburg might bring wireless Internet into the homes of the town's residents and make it available on their commutes.
Redwood Wireless of Sioux Falls is interested in building the tower between the two baseball diamonds north of Liberty Elementary School.
A proposal has been submitted to Harrisburg's Planning and Zoning Commission. The lease proposal is being finalized, planning and zoning administrator Albert Schmidt said.
The tower would be slightly less than 200 feet tall, with a footprint no bigger than 75 feet by 75 feet.
It would give residents the chance to purchase wireless broadband Internet access through Redwood, and it would provide continuous broadband coverage for customers traveling between Sioux Falls and Harrisburg, Redwood Wireless marketing manager Chris Dolittle said.
Wireless broadband is a fast-growing industry, he said, and the tower is part of Redwood Wireless' attempt to bring service into more of the area surrounding Sioux Falls.
The proposed tower site is zoned residential and would need to be replotted and rezoned as central business to accommodate the project. The land then would be leased to Redwood Wireless.
Final terms of the lease still are being discussed, Schmidt said, and the lease would have to be approved by the City Council before the replotting and rezoning could start.
Redwood Wireless would pay surveying costs to replot the land, as well as the cost for construction and an access road.
Schmidt said the city's hope is to have an access road by the railroad tracks, not between the baseball diamonds.
Mayor Reed Ramstad said the city has no objection to the tower, which he would consider a good addition to the city.
"It's a great extra service to have in the community," Ramstad said.
The tower shouldn't pose any problems to maintaining the baseball diamonds, maintenance supervisor Dan Fink said.
Schmidt said the only concern planning and zoning has is the possibility of Redwood Wireless leasing space on the tower itself, which should be addressed in the lease. He also is hoping Redwood Wireless would agree to provide free Internet access for City Hall, the library and the city's maintenance building as part of the deal.
"We're trying to make sure we get the best deal we can for the city," Schmidt said.
Ideally, service would be up and running by early next year, Doolittle said.
Construction of a tower usually takes a couple of months, and the company would like to get started soon. The cost of construction is hard to estimate because of such variables as soil conditions, Doolittle said.
The next opportunity for the planning and zoning commission to go over the lease and recommend it for council approval is at its next meeting Aug. 13.
Clinton Larson • For the Argus Leader • July 28, 2008
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/NEWS/807280314/1001/news
07-21-2008Exploring 700 MHz optionsJul 14, 2008 12:00 PM, By Kevin Fitchard
At an Insights for Next-Generation ILECs panel in Las Vegas, Vanu Bose declared: “If anyone owns 700 MHz spectrum and is thinking of doing something other than [long-term evolution], with all due respect, I think you're nuts. You'd be going off on your own.”
That's a bold statement, but Bose knows a little bit about radio access networks. In fact, the research from his dissertation at MIT became the foundation of the software-defined radio architecture he now sells at his eponymous company, Vanu. His argument centers around two bullet-points: AT&T and Verizon. The two largest winners of the 700 MHz auction are calling the shots, and as they've both selected LTE as their future 4G technology at 700 MHz, they've pretty much dictated what other spectrum-holders will deploy over their own 700 MHz frequencies.
Why do AT&T and Verizon wield so much power? Bose's argument comes down to economies of scale. The large carriers dictate where the vendors allocate their resources, and at 700 MHz they're pursuing LTE in hopes of landing lucrative contracts with those two operators. If the smaller license-holders want to tag along for the ride, that's fine, but the big vendors won't be building any new product lines just to land a 100,000-population coverage network in Utah. There has been talk from the WiMAX Forum about certifying equipment at 700 MHz, but that talk has died down since AT&T and Verizon laid out their LTE plans.
It's feasible that some of the smaller broadband wireless equipment vendors will develop a WiMAX kit at 700 MHz. But then a different set of scale economics kicks in. Devices are a key part of the 4G business model: Embedded consumer electronics and handheld computers are supposed to be the new devices of the 4G age, but consumer electronics- and handset-makers need to be assured of millions of units in volume before they start building their fancy gadgets.
So Bose is expressing the industry's common wisdom, which seems to condemn the hundreds of individual 700 MHz winners to wait for the next three years until AT&T and Verizon are ready to deploy their LTE networks. Not everyone wants to wait, however — including one operator in Sioux Falls, S.D., that has already bucked common wisdom.
Redwood Wireless owns PCS licenses in Minnesota and South Dakota, but instead of launching CDMA, GSM or UMTS over the spectrum, it opted to go broadband using iBurst technology. Developed by ArrayComm and built by Kyocera, iBurst is a spatial division multiple access technology primarily used in public safety data networks around the globe. Redwood uses the network for public safety, offering uninterrupted broadband connectivity to police cars racing down the freeway, but it also sells the service to Sioux Falls residents and businesses, offering 1 Mb/s download speeds for $20 a month, with true mobility to boot.
The Redwood service is an awful lot like the 4G services large operators have been going on about for two years but still haven't built. In an interview, Chris Doolittle, markets director for Redwood, said he has no problem with the proprietary nature of the technology. In fact, Redwood is considering expanding iBurst, deploying it over the 700 MHz spectrum it acquired at auction.
“We decided to get our feet wet with iBurst,” Doolittle said. “We wanted to have a mobile product, not a nomadic product. iBurst can hand off at 70 mph, while some of these WiMAX products are still in the beta stages of mobility.”
Redwood will test WiMAX kits, and it will test LTE kits when they finally become available. Doolittle is conscious of the fact that both technologies will be supported on the larger operators' networks. Right now an iBurst home gateway or laptop card runs about $200. Getting that cost below $100 would be ideal, something that the LTE ecosystem will most certainly do. But Doolittle isn't prepared to wait the three years for those devices to become available, nor is he convinced that LTE can deliver the performance its boosters claim.
“We would prefer sooner rather than later, but whatever technology we choose has to meet the requirements we have set, and it has to perform the way they say it will,” Doolittle said.
http://telephonyonline.com/wimax/news/telecom_exploring_mhz_options/
07-21-2008An Insights debriefingAn Insights debriefing
Jul 14, 2008 12:00 PM, By Joan Engebretson
Telephony's recent Insights conference provided plenty of opportunities to talk informally with the Tier 2 and Tier 3 providers that are the target readership of The Independent and with others who have a stake in that market. I met Brandon Zupancic, director of technology for Canby Telcom and subject of this issue's Indy Dossier. I learned that Bill King, principal of JSI Capital Advisors, can deliver some pithy one-liners. And I talked with Calvin Deleavey and Barry Walton from BellAliant about Embarq's eGo phone, which figures in our cover story. They reminded me that NBTel offered something similar some years ago, but it didn't include Internet connectivity. By adding that capability, they think Embarq has a winner.
No conference would be complete without a little controversy — and that was provided by Vanu Bose, CEO of equipment-maker Vanu, who made the statement that any carrier with 700 MHz spectrum would be nuts to deploy anything but long-term evolution (LTE) technology. On the surface, his argument is logical: AT&T and Verizon Wireless, who own most of the 700 MHz spectrum, plan to use LTE and will drive economies of scale that no other technology will be able to match.
But that argument assumes smaller telcos that won 700 MHz licenses will want to offer the same mobile high-speed services that the big carriers are planning — and I'm not so sure that's true. CenturyTel's announcement was rather vague, but it talked about offering service to targeted neighboring communities, which sure sounds like a fixed deployment to me. And when I recently checked in with a couple of rural 700 MHz winners — Larry Sevier, general manager of Rural Telephone Service Co., and Lloyd Benson, president of Pioneer Telephone Cooperative — they both talked about fixed deployments, too.
For a rural carrier, fixed broadband wireless can be a great way of filling in coverage holes in areas beyond the reach of DSL or fiber, and it can provide a platform for serving communities outside their landline exchanges. But in an era of nationwide plans, a mobile wireless strategy is becoming less and less appealing for smaller carriers.
Even Independents considering mobile service may not want to wait for the big guys. With little fanfare, Redwood Wireless already has built a high-speed wireless network based on iBurst in the PCS band that supports mobile hand-offs, and the company is considering using the same technology at 700 MHz.
700 MHz and 4G are just a couple of the topics that the telecom industry will be debating in upcoming months. We look forward to bringing you coverage on these and other stories that affect the Independent market — and to revisiting the 700 MHz debate at next year's Insights conference.
Joan Engebretson can be reached at joanengebretson@cs.com.
http://telephonyonline.com/independent/commentary/telecom_insights_debriefing/
04-25-2008Sioux Falls City Police Vehicles Go Mobile BroadbandSioux Falls City Police Vehicles Go Mobile Broadband
Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Redwood County Telephone of Wabasso, Minnesota, in operation for over 100 years, and an infrastructure provider to the communications industry in Sioux Falls for nearly a decade.
04-16-2008KYOCERA Enhances iBurst 3.9G Mobile BroadbandKYOCERA Enhances iBurst® 3.9G Mobile Broadband
Technology
User downlink speeds will double, to 4Mbps, by 4Q 2009;
system will add 700MHz frequency
KYOTO, Japan – April 10, 2008 – Kyocera Corporation (President: Makoto
Kawamura)(NYCE:KYO) today announced an enhanced technology for the iBurst® 3.9G
Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) system that will begin appearing in iBurst base
stations and terminals from Kyocera by the 4th Quarter of 2009.
iBurst, a High-Capacity Spatial-Division Multiple Access (HC-SDMA) technology, is a leading
solution for mobile broadband wireless communication. With Kyocera’s enhanced technology,
the user’s maximum data rate will double, to four megabits per second (4Mbps) in the downlink.
Further, iBurst base stations will provide downlinks of up to 32Mbps on a 5MHz band, or 64Mbps
at 10MHz, and will support a new frequency of 700MHz.
“We believe the iBurst system represents the world’s most efficient technology for increasing
mobile telecommunications throughput on limited bandwidth,” said Mr. Masashi Yano, General
Manager, Corporate Communication System Equipment Division, Kyocera Corporation. “With
this enhancement, the iBurst system’s spectral efficiency rises to 9.8 bit/sec/Hz per sector in the
downlink.”
Employing Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) technology, existing iBurst equipment allows
three spatial channels to be used simultaneously to communicate on the same frequency
channel and time slot. Using this method, existing iBurst equipment provides user downlinks of
up to 2Mbps; base station downlinks of up to 24Mbps; frequencies of 1.8, 1.9 and 2.3GHz; and
mobility at speeds exceeding 100km/h (62 mph).*
*Video illustrates iBurst mobility and smooth handover between base stations.
Kyocera’s new iBurst equipment will deliver higher efficiency and performance through an
enhanced SDMA technology that supports four spatial channels on the same frequency channel
and time slot.
iBurst networks now operate commercially in 11 countries, offering a true mobile broadband
solution that is forward-compatible with IEEE802.20, currently in the final stages of
standardization. New iBurst networks are now being planned in more than 20 other countries.
Kyocera will promote the newly developed 700 MHz capability for deployment in U.S. mobile
broadband applications.
iBurst operators worldwide have formed the iBurst Association (iBA), a not-for-profit organization
advocating the promotion and development of iBurst technology as a preferred MBWA solution.
For more information, please visit:
iBurst: http://global.kyocera.com/iburst
iBurst Association: http://www.iburst.org
About Kyocera
Kyocera Corporation (http://www.kyocera.com), the parent and global headquarters of the
Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these
engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies,
Kyocera Corporation has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, solar
energy systems, semiconductor packages, electronic components, laser printers, copiers and
industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2007, the company’s net sales totaled 1.28
trillion yen (approximately US$10.8 billion).
Contact:
Nami Sawai
Corporate Communications, Kyocera Corporation
Tel: +81-75-604-3416
E-mail: webmaster.pressgl@kyocera.jp
04-01-20086th International iBurst Forum - March 2008Tuesday, 01 April 2008
Technology conferences, particularly those focused on mobile broadband, often generate a lot of passion and heated headlines. These events may illustrate tribal tendencies amongst technologists. They may provide some refresher courses for beginners in credo-coaching. But they rarely deliver very much additional wisdom.
Mobile broadband pioneer, Dr Martin Cooper
The nearest that anyone got to being unkind to other technologies was an observation that the iBurst (HC-SDMA) product development priorities had changed very slightly to accommodate predicted post-WiMAX/WiBro migrants in 2009. And although there were some calls for greater global publicity, the general opinion of successful iBurst operators was that there was no pressing need emulate the hype of the hapless. Headlines (and particularly headline download speeds) make little positive contribution towards the management of customer expectations.
So it was a delight to hear, from the iBurst operator in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that although he got zero media attention in the US Sprint-obsessed technology press, more than 50% of his new customers last month came from customer referrals. From zero to 2000 customers in under 9 months in a small town - not bad for a mobile broadband technology that no-one has heard of but does what it says on the box.
Understatement rarely comes more understated than the passing reference by the founder of Mobi in Beirut to ‘a few recent difficulties’ - three of his roof-top base stations took direct hits. His strategies for managing resellers were delivering both growth and profitability - and had much impressed his mentors and colleagues at Harvard during a recent study trip. He also shared with delegates his approach to de-risking network expansion. When ISP’s clamour for additional base stations across the less populated parts of The Lebanon his deployment decisions are based on their pre-commitments to service sales. This demand-led approach is not dissimilar to the strategies adopted by Scandinavian communities to fast track the deployment of FTTH networks but it’s a million miles away from the traditional ‘build it and let them come’ approach that demands deep pockets and an arrogance of Telco proportions.
Talking of incumbents, the global market view presented by A D Little’s analyst, Dr Karim Taga, was instructive. The mobile broadband technology choices of established mobile phone companies are hugely influenced by the need to upgrade their kit for the shift way from voice towards data – but they are still constrained by their design decisions of a previous decade and their fortunes rest on a further longer-term evolution. It is a common tactic, when out of stock, for the shopkeeper to promise that fresh supplies are expected to be arriving next week.
iBurst operators were also pleased to note that their Open Interoperability was very beneficial in enabling easy commercial collaboration and, as one delegate remarked, 'there's no real global shortage of good spectrum, only a shortage of technologies that can use it very efficiently'.
Over two days, with delegates from far and wide, it became abundantly clear that one size, or one business model, does not fit all. The customer requirements and perceived markets of 'elcell' in Azerbaijan are a world away from iZZi in Malaysia and different yet again to the multitude of new ventures from iBurst Africa and Africa Online or the potential in Indonesia with more than 220million people,17,000 islands and nearly 5000 villages where basic telephony has yet to arrive. The upcoming launch of iBurst in Slovenia will reflect a very different market context to that of Northern Ireland, or Norway, or the Netherlands, or the plans for Moscow and Egypt.
What was common to all, however, was the business of getting on with doing business – most notably exemplified by iBurst in South Africa. With disdain for ‘paralysis by analysis’, iBurst operators of all shapes and sizes reaffirmed that interesting and unexpected things happen when you provide customers with a service that lives up to expectations: their customers crack on with using iBurst for things that no amount of expensive market research would ever have revealed.
Perhaps the most interesting sign of serious success was signalled by the speakers who were not operators – the service experts and ancillary kit manufacturers who are busy building iBurst into their own products. Moovera incorporating broadband connectivity into their rugged kit for coaches and ferries, and iSheriff giving iBurst ISP’s differentiation opportunities in both the corporate and family consumer markets – these were just two examples of a growing and sustainable eco-system that is building business amongst the iBurst community.
And there was quiet (but not complacent) satisfaction at the progress within international standards committees and at the ITU. The design attributes and clear success of iBurst may surprise other technology tribes but remains undeniable.
If there was just one conclusion to draw from this gathering of well-established operators who were happy to share their experience amongst those from the 33 countries where spectrum licences now enable iBurst to be deployed, it was simply this - bottom lines are more important than headlines. If you have a product that works there is no need for hype, and certainly no need to encourage a belief in the defiance of science.
___________________________________________________
Picture: Mobile broadband pioneer, Dr Martin Cooper, speaking at the 6th International iBurst Forum.
Further information regarding the iBurst Association can be found at www.iburst.org
(C) ABFL Groupe Intellex, 2008. Syndication conditions of use apply.
10-02-2007Subscribers to Kyocera's iBurst Mobile Wireless Broadband Internet Service Exceed 140,000 WorldwideKyocera plans to expand iBurst deployment to 20 nations by the end of 2007
KYOTO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kyocera Corporation (President: Makoto Kawamura) announced today that the number of iBurst subscribers worldwide now exceeds 140,000, with continued growth anticipated. Currently deployed in 10 nations including South Africa, the United States, Canada and Australia. iBurst has proven to offer a successful business model as the world's only commercially available mobile wireless broadband Internet access technology.
iBurst is an "always-on," IP-centric, mobile, high-speed wireless access system manufactured by Kyocera Corporation. It provides approximately 1Mbps (downlink) packet data service per user simultaneously at a frequency range of only 5MHz, and supports VoIP with a quality level equivalent to fixed telephony. iBurst also has the capability for handover and mobility at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour (about 72 mph) as verified under real-world conditions in network tests.
Due to its advanced security capabilities, iBurst is used both by consumers and in special-purpose commercial applications, including monitoring, security and public safety. The system's strength lies in its low "total cost of ownership" requiring minimal capital expenditures and low operating expenses on the part of the carrier while delivering performance superior to that of today's 3G, HSDPA or WiMAX technologies.
iBurst was standardized as HC-SDMA (High-Capacity Spatial-Division Multiple Access) technology by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in September 2005. Additionally, HC-SDMA was included in the ITU-R M. 1801 Recommendation for Mobile and Nomadic Applications in March 2007 by the International Telecommunication Union.
"Kyocera will continue to develop the iBurst system in both technology and market appeal, adding capabilities and new equipment models," stated Mr. Masashi Yano, Deputy General Manager of Corporate Communication System Equipment Division, Kyocera Corporation. "We are targeting iBurst commercialization in 20 nations by the end of 2007."
05-16-2007Internet provider makes inroads City employees could be among first to use super-fast service in Sioux Falls
Internet provider makes inroads
City employees could be among first to use super-fast service in Sioux Falls
By Megan Myers
Published: May 16, 2007
A new wireless Internet service now available in Sioux Falls has caught the eye of city officials looking for a way to better connect employees.
Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet - a division of Minnesota-based Redwood Telecom and Kyocera Corp. - started service last month and is luring new customers with download speeds of up to 1 megabyte per second in its Sioux Falls service area.
"It's going well," said Chris Doolittle, market manager for Redwood Wireless. "It's growing at the pace we kind of thought it would."
Redwood Wireless customers use modems and wireless laptop cards bought or leased from the company to connect to its network, which is distributed through wireless communications towers across the city.
"Anytime you have an existing infrastructure, it's pretty easy," Doolittle said.
The company touts that its service is 10 times faster than Internet service available on wireless provider networks such as Verizon and Sprint. It's also faster than DSL and cable Internet service, Doolittle said.
The wireless technology, known as iBurst, was developed by Kyocera and uses the 802.20 wireless standard. The service is available only in Sioux Falls, but Redwood Wireless plans to expand to suburban and rural areas outside the city as the company grows, Doolittle said.
The city is in contract negotiations with Redwood Wireless to provide wireless service to its employees, including animal control officers, firefighters and police.
City employees now use a couple of different types of Wi-Fi services for communication. The city has looked for years for a way to connect via one high-speed wireless system, said Jon Klemme, city of Sioux Falls information technology supervisor.
"Either we were going to have to build it out ourselves at the price of millions of dollars or find a vendor that could offer the same service cheaper," Klemme said. "Going this route is a fraction of the cost of building out our own network."
Police officers use a wireless system that's slower than dial-up Internet service, Klemme said. Officers also can use city-owned wireless hot spots across the city, such as those at fire stations, to download photos of crime suspects and upload reports. But the slow speeds can hinder how much information can be sent, Klemme said.
Other employees use wireless phone network cards in laptops to connect to city databases.
"We've got roughly 90 police and fire vehicles that would utilize this service once this contract is signed," Klemme said.
The city has said the cost to pay for wireless Internet improvements will come from an information technology administrative revolving fund. The Redwood Wireless service for city employees could be fully running by summer's end.
"It opens up a possibility where before that possibility didn't exist," Klemme said.
Wireless Internet isn't difficult to find in Sioux Falls. Many businesses offer the service to their patrons, and wireless networks are common in local homes.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705160334
05-10-2007DOVADO mobile routers selected by Redwood Wireless, US's first iBurst operator
Dubai Internet City, Thursday 10th of May, 2007.
Redwood Wireless has selected Dovado as the key supplier for wireless routers, backhauled by the mobile broadband technology HC-SDMA (High Capacity Spatial Division Multiple Access), better known to the public as iBurst. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony held earlier this week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Redwood Wireless has launched the network with strong network coverage across the city landscape as well as capacity for many simultaneous residential and business users of broadband services. The network is also planned for expansion in terms of coverage and capacity during the summer of 2007. Redwood Wireless is a member of the international iBurst Assocation.
“With our service, business executives and Internet users will enjoy mobile liberty and freedom at true broadband speeds and at affordable, accessible prices for the first time. And proven iBurst technology from Kyocera is so reliable and secure it is being standardized for public safety and emergency use. It truly is Internet At The Speed of Life.” said Chris Doolittle, Markets Manager for Redwood Wireless.
The DOVADO Wireless Residential Gateway (WRG) connects to the mobile broadband network via the Kyocera iBurstTMSystem PC Card (PCMCIA) modem and can share the internet services to many computer and WiFi-enabled handheld device users as a wireless router. Additional features such as telephony allow subscribers to use their existing regular analog telephone sets and fax machines to get the best out of next generation SIP telephony. The additional value-add is the small and compact design which can accommodate all the front and back-end communications features as well as remain software upgradeable in order to accommodate future availability of PC cards and features. 
The WRG can be used as an all-in-one access device within a home, office or onboard a vessel/vehicle. Wireless operators are able to bundle competitive voice and data packages as part of their service plan.
The WRG was first qualified and certified for iBurst by Personal Broadband Australia in November 2006. Since then, the WRG has also gone online in other expanding iBurst markets such as Azerbaijan, Canada, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Norway and South Africa.
“We are extremely pleased to have supplied Redwood Wireless with WRG’s in time for the launch of their mobile broadband internet service in South Dakota. Thanks to the ability to share the iBurst internet access as well as offer a competitive form of telephony, the WRG will allow Redwood Wireless’s customers to access all of the available services from within the zone of coverage, be it within a fixed or mobile scenario.” says Erik Arthur, CEO of DOVADO.
iBurstTMSystem is the fourth separate family of technologies supported by the DOVADO Wireless Residential Gateway (WRG), succeeding the previous integration of support for 2G/3G/HSPA, UMTS-TDD as well as FLASH-OFDM®.
To find out more about the DOVADO Wireless Residential Gateway, visit www.dovado.com/wrg
About Redwood Wireless:
Redwood Wireless is a part of a solid telecommunications company that has been around for nearly 100 years. Redwood Wireless and its affiliated companies are significant players in telecommunications and cellular infrastructure across the northern plains.
www.redwoodwireless.com
About iBurst Association:
The iBurst Association was formed as a consortium of iBurst Operators worldwide. Our members represent the operators from USA, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Australia, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Norway, France, The Netherlands, Denmark, Malaysia, and more. It is a non-profit association established in 2007.
As of today, the iBurst technology have already been commercialized in 14 countries, with some countries having rolled-out for more than 24 months. This technology is the only proven non-line-of-sight (NLO) communications for wireless broadband in cities worldwide. iBurst technology is also the only technology proven to have highly secured network capacity and strong handover signals inside vehicles moving at speeds of up to 100km per hour. iBurst Association membership is open to all. We welcome membership applications inception from potential iBurst operators in new regions, vendors, equipment suppliers related to iBurst technology, distributors, etc with an interest to explore further to this advanced technology and also able to enjoy the business networking opportunities with iBA members worldwide.
www.iburstassociation.com
DOVADO
Samir Madani
Director, Sales & Marketing
samir.madani@dovado.com
Phone: +46 709 45 63 96
www.dovado.com
About DOVADO:
DOVADO is an innovative supplier of unique products for operators introducing services in mobile broadband networks. DOVADO recognizes communication as a basic human right, and should be available across all boundaries of society and geography. DOVADO FZ-LLC is based in Dubai Internet City, with R&D Representative Office in Stockholm, Sweden.
www.dovado.com
For further information, please contact:
Redwood Wireless
Chris Doolittle – Markets Manager
cdoolittle@redwoodwireless.com
Phone: +16053621767
www.redwoodwireless.com
05-07-2007Redwood Wireless Brings Kyoceras iBurst Technology to Sioux Falls, Marking the Broadband Technologys United States Debut
Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet offers true mobility for $34.95 per month
SIOUX FALLS, SD and KYOTO, JAPAN – May 7, 2007 – Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet, a division of leading Midwest telecommunications provider Redwood Telecom (RTC), and Kyocera Corp. announced today the immediate availability of Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet. For only $34.95 per month, Redwood customers can access the first true broadband mobile wireless access network in the United States to employ iBurstTM broadband technology from Kyocera Corp.
Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet connects business and residential users to a high-speed data communication network wirelessly. Its data downlink speed of up to 1,000Kbps (1 Mbps) enables users to enjoy high-speed data throughput for all IP-based applications – including Web browsing, email, streaming video, e-CRM, and more – within the service area. The Redwood Wireless service is available initially within Sioux Falls and nearby areas, with plans to expand into additional Redwood markets in coming months.
"Sioux Falls is about to experience magic!” said Chris Doolittle, markets manager for Redwood Wireless. “With our service, business executives and Internet users will enjoy mobile liberty and freedom at true broadband speeds and at affordable, accessible prices for the first time. And proven iBurst technology from Kyocera is so reliable and secure it is being standardized for public safety and emergency use.”
Doolittle went on to state that the Redwood Wireless network infrastructure provides the performance, scalability and reliability to accommodate the needs of all corporate executives in need of mission-critical connectivity at all times and in all places. A range of business, residential and student service packages make Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet very affordable and attractive for students and Web surfers as well.
Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet service is designed to appeal to a vast sector of Internet users: executives in various vertical sectors, sales forces, consultants, reporters, site engineers, and school and university students, to name a few.
The iBurst system, originally developed by Arraycomm, is commercialized and marketed by Kyocera Corp., which is supplying the Redwood Wireless iBurst base stations and user terminals. Kyocera is aggressively deploying the iBurst system throughout the world and plans to launch additional North American iBurst-enabled services in the near future.
"We would like to express our respect and appreciation to Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet for the faith they have shown in our iBurst technology,” said Masashi Yano, Deputy General Manager, International Sales Department of Kyocera's Corporate Communication Equipment Group. “Kyocera commits its full support to Redwood Wireless as its new iBurst service reshapes the communication environment in Sioux Falls and other Midwest markets.”
Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Redwood County Telephone of Wabasso, Minnesota, in operation for over 100 years, and an infrastructure provider to the communications industry in Sioux Falls for nearly a decade.
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2007, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$10.8 billion (JP¥1,283,897 million) with net income of approximately US$895 million (JP¥106,504 million).
04-17-2007ITU Recommendations Bolster iBurstApril 2007
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Recommendation for Broadband Wireless Access, approved on March 8, 2007, has bolstered the position of HC-SDMA - the mobile broadband technology that has now been commercially deployed in ninecountries.
HC-SDMA - High Capacity Spatial Division Multiple Access (commercially known as iBurst) is a breakthrough technology that uses Multiple Antenna Systems to deliver fully mobile IP services with world-beating spectrum efficiency and low infrastructure costs. HC-SDMA first gained formal industry approval as an ATIS/ANSI Standard in 2005 and is en route toward incorporation into the IEEE 802.20 standard targeted for completion by the end of 2007.
Recommendation ITU-R M.1801 “Radio interface standards for broadband wireless access systems, including mobile and nomadic applications, in the mobile service operating below 6 GHz,” recommends specific standards for broadband wireless access in the mobile service. The standards included in this Recommendation are capable of supporting users at broadband data rates. The approval of this recommendation was announced in ITU-R Administrative Circular CACE/421 issued on March 13.
The original systems design by ArrayComm and Kyocera was conceived as a development beyond the two previous generations of spatial division mobile technologies that are now serving more than 53 million customers with a deployment of over 300,000 base stations mainly in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Managing Executive Officerof Kyocera, Eiichi Toriyama, welcomed the ITU-R Recommendation and observed that, “The spread of this advanced technology into Europe, Africa and America is an exciting development - particularly because it requires far less spectrum and has lower investment risks than other systems that attempt to deliver reliable fully mobile broadband services indoors and out and on the move"
In The United States HC-SDMA/iBurst is the engine driving Redwood Wireless that now covers/reaches Sioux Falls, SD.
Mobile broadband service pioneer, Chris Doolittle said “The recognition of this technology first by ATIS/ANSI, now the ITU and the recent progress as a candidate technology within the IEEE802.20 Standard is further evidence that the economic and technical analysis we made in 2007 to support our investor community was well-founded.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
About HC-SDMA (iBurst™)
High Capacity-Spatial Division Multiple Access (HC-SDMA) is the formal description of a fully mobile broadband technology known commercially as iBurst™ and developed by ArrayComm (San Jose, CA) and Kyocera Corp., Yokohama, Japan.
iBurst™ has been commercially deployed in many countries over the past 5 years through a wide range of operators and their retail partners. With the lowest cumulative Capital and Operational expenditure of all wide-area Mobile Broadband contenders, the economic advantages of this technology stem from its inherent spectral efficiency. This results in higher capacity, few base stations and lower spectrum licence costs to deliver highly competitive and resilient services.
About [Redwood Wireless Broadband Internet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Redwood County Telephone of Wabasso, Minnesota, in operation for over 100 years, and an infrastructure provider to the communications industry in Sioux Falls for nearly a decade.
Australia: http://www.iburst.com.au
Jonathan Withers
jonathan.withers@pba.com.au
Azerbaijan: http://www.elcell.co.az
Mr. Ramiz Sharifov, Managing Director
ramiz@elcell.az
Canada: http://www.redballinternet.com
Mr. Karl Holmqvist, CEO
kholmqvist@yamatech.com
Ghana: http://www.africaonline.com.gh
Mr. Ato Sarpong, Managing Director
ato@africaonline.com.gh
Kenya: http://www.africaonline.co.ke
Mr. Suhayl Esmailjee, Managing Director
suhayl@africaonline.co.ke
Lebanon: http://www.mobi.tm
Mr. Imad Tadabay, CEO
imad@fiberlinknetworks.net
Norway http://www.iband.no
Mr. Patrick Clough, Executive Director
prc@iband.no
South Africa http://www.iburst.co.za
Mr. Alan Knott-Craig, Managing Director
Chris Doolittle, Market Manager
info@redwoodwireless.com
