Aperto Networks unveiled today its WiMAX solution set, which the company expects to be among the first wave of equipment evaluated for certification and interoperability under the 802.16-2004 specification at the WiMAX Forum’s CETECOM Test Labs in Spain this summer. In addition three carriers voiced their intentions to deploy the new systems in market trials later this year.
Called PacketMAX, the line includes three base stations, six CPE variations and the WaveMAX element management system that can be used to deliver either business or residential services. The flagship product is the PacketMAX 5000, an Advanced TCA-based modular base station contained in a familiar chassis. PacketMAX 3000 offers a 1ru mini base station that contains all the features of the 5000, but in a different form factor that can be deployed alone or stacked. The PacketMAX 2000 base station is a single-sector micro base station ruggedized for outdoor deployments.
The subscriber equipment includes the PacketMAX 300 series for business-class applications and the PacketMAX 200 series for consumer deployments. Each of these also is available with integrated voice. Wi-Fi integration and support for T1/E1 links to key systems and PBXs also are available.
PacketMAX supports speeds up to 55 Mbps per wireless channel, as well as applications such as VPNs and transparent LAN; multiservice data, VoIP and video; disaster recovery; bandwidth on demand; backhaul of Wi-Fi hotspots, hot zones and cellular traffic; and low-latency networked applications like supply-chain management and customer relationship management.
Initial systems will support 3.5GHz, which is the most widely-utilized frequency in the world, although not yet authorized for commercial use in the United States. However, PacketMAX also is designed to support 3.3-3.8GHz, 2.3-2.7GHz and 5.4-5.9GHz ranges.
Dr. Reza Ahy, CEO of Aperto Networks, says trials of the PM5000 will begin this summer with product rollout planned for fall. Consumer CPE based on Intel’s WiMAX chip and business CPE based on Fujitsu Microelectronic’s WiMAX SOC chip will be used in the market trials and rollout in fall. Trials for the PM3000 will be in late fall with rollouts expects in first quarter 2006.
PacketMAX market trials are planned by current Aperto customers using the company’s PacketWave system. These include U.S. Wireless, TowerStream and Iberband.
Ahy says general availability likely will be timed to follow receipt of certification from the WiMAX Forum. The forum plans to open the lab July 1 for validation and begin testing products for certification by fall. The first round of certification will focus exclusively on 3.5GHz systems and components.
The company has plans to incorporate the mobility features of 802.16e. It also plans to announce a partner ecosystem around that end of June that will include alliances for mass production of consumer client devices, says Ahy.
Today’s WIMAX model, which includes gateways as CPE will give way to the embedded client model with the adoption of the 802.16e standard, Ahy says, recalling the similar evolution of Wi-Fi.
