Wireless Connectivity

FairPoint Chooses Nortel WiMAX for Northern New England

Thousands of northern New Englanders will kiss slow dial-up Internet connections goodbye thanks to new WiMAX wireless broadband services from FairPoint Communications powered by Nortel with equipment from Airspan Networks.

FairPoint has selected Nortel's WiMAX network solution as one of the access platforms it will use to bring high-speed Internet to communities in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The WiMAX network will provide subscribers, some of whom have never before been served by broadband, with the speedy connectivity needed for bandwidth-intense applications like VoIP, streaming video and online gaming.

Nortel will provide FairPoint with an end-to-end fixed WiMAX solution (802.16d) that will bring broadband to homes and small businesses over high-speed wireless connections. Rather than build or upgrade wired connections to homes in remote areas, a small WiMAX terminal, placed at customers' homes or businesses, allows them to access the wireless WiMAX network in the same way they would plug into a wireline network.

The high-bandwidth capability of FairPoint's WiMAX network to provide such applications as YouTube videos and fast music downloads relies on a complete solution that includes wireless base stations and terminals designed and manufactured by Airspan. Airspan is a provider of WiMAX-based broadband wireless access networks and is Nortel's partner in delivering fixed WiMAX solutions. FairPoint will also receive Nortel's support service to ensure that their customers always have fast and reliable network access.

"Nortel is a one-stop shop for WiMAX, combining leading-edge technology with the highest quality of applications and services to create the right end-to-end solution for any operator," said Scott Wickware, general manager of WiMAX, Nortel. "Nortel's WiMAX solution will provide FairPoint with everything it needs -- the speed to support today's popular online applications, the coverage to reach remote areas, and the services to keep it all running efficiently."

In addition to equipment and services, FairPoint's fixed WiMAX network will also save costs by using free, publicly available spectrum for transmitting its wireless services, eliminating the need to purchase or lease specially licensed spectrum for its network. Nortel's fixed WiMAX solution uses technology from Airspan to run securely on the 3.65 GHz spectrum, an unlicensed spectrum band available in the United States.

"Millions of homes and businesses in the U.S. have no access to broadband, and carriers are increasingly seeing the 3.65 GHz band made available by the Federal Communications Commission in late 2007 as the most cost-effective way of delivering services to meet this pent-up demand," said Eric Stonestrom, CEO of Airspan. "The response we're getting has been tremendous. We've been fielding this solution internationally for years, and because of that experience can offer the highest stability and performance for U.S. customers."

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