Vecima Networks, a provider of cable television and wireless telecom products, has unveiled its new 3.65 GHz VistaMAX base and subscriber stations. These 3.65 GHz VistaMAX products will create new opportunity for U.S. operators to reap the benefits of WiMAX (News - Alert) technology, while operating in a lightly licensed piece of spectrum.

 

For those who are new to WiMAX, it stands for worldwide interoperability for microwave access. It is a telecommunications technology that facilitates wireless transmission of data using various transmission modes, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular-type access. This technology is generally used to describe wireless systems based on the WiMAX certification profiles that are derived from the IEEE (News - Alert) 802.16-2004 air interface standard.

 

Certified by Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)), the new base and subscriber stations are based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard and are also the latest addition to company’s VistaMAX family of WiMAX compliant products.

 

Vecima’s (News - Alert) VistaMAX product family that is based on IEEE 802.16-2004 standard is commercially available in the 1.9GHz, 3.5GHz and 3.65GHz frequencies. The product portfolio consists of base stations, outdoor & indoor subscriber units and also network management servers.

 

Sealed in a weatherproof housing, the VistaMAX base station OBR3650 is an all-outdoor base station that has an integrated 60, 90 or 120 degree antennas, in order to facilitate a single box solution for WiMAX applications. It operates in the 3650 MHz to 3675 MHz band. There is also option for connecting external antennas through N female connector.

 

The outdoor and indoor subscriber units come with the planned addition of USB and PCMCIA CPEs (personal computer memory card international association standard based customer premises equipments). The VistaMAX network management server, NMS8000, enables full control over all the networks' different elements. The VistaMAX has been successfully deployed and trialed worldwide.

 

According to Vecima, the VistaMAX product portfolio offers high performance, non line-of-sight connectivity and is also successfully deployed and trialed all over the world. The new 3.65 GHz VistaMAX is based upon the same platform as company’s earlier launched 3.5 GHz VistaMAX, which has already been successfully deployed in 25 different countries.

 

Robert Forget, director of wireless product management, Vecima, said, "Building on the success of our 900 MHz WaveRider and wireless DOCSIS solutions, we are focused on providing US customers with a cost effective and proven solution that will enable them to strengthen their business model and generate more revenue from their networks."

 

Vecima has designed two cost-effective 3.65 GHz WiMAX starter kits that will facilitate U.S. operators to test the company’s equipment in their own environment, and also to test the capability to address their different needs and budget constraints. For the time being, the company will be offering only qualified U.S. wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) with the opportunity to evaluate the equipment for a 30-day period.

 

Sumit Kumar, vice president of corporate strategy, Vecima, said "With the low cost of ownership, our new 3.65 GHz VistaMAX should allow WISPs all over the United States to overcome the challenges they are facing with the overly cluttered 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz unlicensed bands and also address the heightened budgetary constraints that they are facing in the current economic climate."