LightPointe, Huawei mount optical wireless deployment for Kenya Data Networks
December 5, 2005 San Diego, CA -- African telecom operator Kenya Data Networks (KDN) has deployed optical wireless links from LightPointe as part of a wireless network ring. KDN installed three LightPointe FlightStrata 155 systems in a high-capacity metropolitan ring network in the city of Nairobi. LightPointe's strategic OEM partner Huawei Technologies provided network integration, provisioning, and installation services for the deployment.
According to a press release, in addition to the KDN project, Huawei is leveraging LightPointe's family of optical wireless products for several international carriers that provide a variety of subscriber services through mobile wireless and traditional wireline networks. In regions of the world where carriers are rolling out new networks and competing to attract and retain new subscribers, LightPointe says its optical wireless platforms are facilitating faster service rollouts for carriers while providing high-speed throughput for network services.
"In addition to reinforcing the value proposition of LightPointe's outdoor wireless products, this installation is yet another example of how market leaders like Huawei and KDN are deploying optical wireless solutions to handle new levels of network traffic, while meeting ever-pressing demands for greater operational efficiency and reduced operational expenses in overcrowded or saturated airwaves," remarks Bob Preston, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of LightPointe.
LightPointe says its optical wireless links are providing full-duplex bandwidth of 155 Mbit/sec for KDN's network ring, equivalent to connections over wired fiber-optic cabling. With its four-beam and four-receiver design, the company says its FlightStrata system is designed to provide inteference-free, point-to-point connectivity in markets seeking license-free wireless infrastructure alternatives to traditional radio frequency (RF) or leased lines.
"We are impressed by the performance of the optical wireless equipment, even under severe weather conditions," concludes Kai Wulff, managing director of KDN. "The equipment has surpassed our expectations, and we are intending to deploy more optical wireless links in different areas of the region."