In an impressive, under-the-RADAR deployment, Horizon Wi-Com (so new, their web site listed in the press release answers up with a hosting provider default page) claims to have completed test deployments of Navini Ripwave MX8 Mobile WiMAX (Wave 1) systems in the following US cities:
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Buffalo
- Cincinnati
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Richmond
- Washington DC
Horizon Wi-Com is using the 2.3 GHz Wireless Communications Service (WCS) band.
The press release claims that full, commercial deployment is awaiting Navini being able to obtain Mobile WiMAX Wave 2 certification for its system. Navini makes good, solid Broadband Wireless Internet Access gear; they've made true WiMAX-like systems for several years now with proven deployments. Of all the vendors planning to make a transition to Mobile WiMAX, I would guess that Navini is one of the best-prepared companies for Mobile WiMAX.
If Horizon Wi-Com does actually commence full, commercial deployment in even some of the cities it lists, this will be an exciting development. It will provide clear, direct competition not only to Wireless Telephony (cellular) broadband systems, but also direct competition to Clearwire and Sprint's proposed WiMAX deployment, and perhaps other Broadband Internet Service Providers (the press release doesn't mention Horizon Wi-Com's intended customer base or any other particulars of their business model).
But full, commercial deployment is certainly not a given, mostly because of the expense of such a deployment, building up marketing, sales, distribution, and customer support with no mention of Horizon Wi-Com's financial resources.
But, that said, this deployment is doubly impressive for nothing else than (finally) there seems to be potential for some real use being made of the lightly-used-at-best WCS band.
DailyWireless' article on Horizon Wi-Com provides additional details.
By Steve Stroh
This article is Copyright © 2007 by Steve Stroh
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