Alvarion scores 'first' Australian WiMAX network

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 04 July 2007 08:21

Business IT - Networking

Queensland based broadband wireless operator Allegro Networks is to rollout a 'fixed' WiMAX network supplied by Israeli WiMAX equipment maker Alvarion,  the company chosen also by Opel, according to the Government.

Alvarion claims it will be the first WiMAX deployment in Australia and will enable "thousands of businesses in the outer metro and growth corridors across Queensland...to benefit from access to a high-speed network providing converged voice and data services."

Allegro chairman and former Telstra senior executive, Ted Pretty, said: "Businesses in regional Australia cannot afford to wait any longer to receive advanced broadband services. Alvarion was the one company able to meet our deadlines for true WiMAX infrastructure while maintaining the required quality of service (QoS). Furthermore, Alvarion's WiMAX leadership and knowledge were clearly evidenced by the commercial trials we held with several top tier vendors over the past four months."

No launch date was given, but in earlier announcements, Allegro has said it hopes to have the network operational by early 2008.

According to a 'fact sheet' on the Opel Networks proposal, issued by communications minister, Helen Coonan, "Opel has identified the world-leading WiMAX vendor, Alvarion, as its provider of choice." However Opel has not confirmed this.

Allegro joint managing director, David Waldie said: "We are impressed with the performance of Alvarion's solution. It enables us to deliver up to 12Mbps throughput at 20km, and as the standard evolves, speed is expected to increase markedly. We are excited about the opportunities Alvarion's ecosystem can offer us."

However the evolution of the standard  referred to is mobile WiMAX: a distinct and different technology. An Alvarion spokeswoman told iTWire ' We have a very clear upgrade path from fixed to mobile WiMAX. In a nutshell, the migration path is, in most cases, software only for the base station. The CPE products we sell at the moment are software upgradeable to work with future systems. However, our current CPEs are self installed devices for fixed and nomadic applications – they are designed to be located on the desk – so they are not designed to be mobile devices."

Allegro presently operates a wireless network covering around 800 sq kms in Queensland's South East corner.  For its WiMAX network it is planning to use licensed 3.4GHz spectrum covering Brisbane and South East Queensland's growth corridors which it acquired in September 2006 at a cost of more than $1 million.

In December 2006, the Council of Mayors of South East Queensland named Allegro as the sole provider of wireless infrastructure for its ConnectSEQ project.s. The Council of Mayors is seeking around $100 million of funding for ConnectSEQ under the Helen Coonan's $1.1 billion Connect Australia project.