The headaches associated with wireline (copper) telecommunications technology is set to become a thing of the past as Unisys South Africa announces the availability of its Fixed Wireless Loop System to at Africa Telecom 98. The system facilitates a wireless means for subscribers to access a telecommunications network. A Fixed Wireless Loop provides a cost-effective alternative to the replacement of old copper and wire based telecommunication networks and infrastructures. The Fixed Wireless Loop System is particularly suited to emerging economies and telecommunication companies that do not have a huge capital infrastructure. Many emerging countries still have wireline solutions, which are characterised by many drawbacks. "In countries that do not have an existing network infrastructure, it is very time consuming and expensive to build a new network. The building of a new wireline network requires the bulk of payment up front and prior to implementation. Wireline solutions are costly due to distance sensitivity and as such, it is not suitable for sparse and scattered demand. When a subscriber moves, the wireline network can not be redeployed and this results in the stranding of assets. In addition many emerging countries are faced with manmade and natural disasters and wireline networks cannot be rapidly deployed in emergency situations," said Unisys South Africa, business development manager, Travis Fairey. The solution according to Fairey is the Fixed Wireless Loop System, which provides a significant return on investment (ROI) for countries and companies deploying the solution. Over 70 percent of the line equipment cost is on the subscriber end, thus the bulk of the investment needs to be made only when signing up paying customers. Installation is quick and easy with low maintenance costs reducing the over all cost of the system. The system is well protected against theft - equipment will not operate if it is stolen or misused. Not even installation and maintenance staff can bypass the system`s security. The system is economically viable over a wide range of subscriber densities and can be used for stand alone and overlay networks. It can also grow with the subscriber population and can be deployed in urban and suburban areas. The Unisys Fixed Wireless Loop solution is based on state of the art synchronous CDMA technology. There are three main elements in the Fixed Wireless Loop System. A Network Interface Unit (NIU) connects the system to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The Radio Base Unit (RBU) controls and aggregates large numbers of radio links. Up to 15 RBUs can be connected to and supported by the NIU. A standard E1 2-megabit connection via either cable, satellite or microwave technology links the PSTN, NIU and RBU. The RBU connects to the Subscriber Unit providing standard wireline interface to the customer`s telephone. In addition, the system has an Element Management System that provides the operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning functions. "The Fixed Wireless Loop System is characterised by many key attributes. It has a wireline voice quality that is delivered at 32 Kbps and a high throughput for data and fax applications at 32/64 Kbps. The Fixed Wireless Loop System can support enhanced services like priority and emergency calling - both inbound and out bound," concluded Fairey. Unisys South Africa supplies a turnkey solution for emerging economies and telecommunication companies wishing to implement the groups Fixed Wireless Loop solution. A specialised team investigates the network requirements on site. The geography of the country is surveyed and radio requirements are planned. The project is commissioned and the installation process then takes place. The Fixed Wireless Loop solution can be operated with an outsourced option if required. When a country or telecommunications company in Africa purchases the Fixed Wireless Loop solution from Unisys South Africa, a significant investment is made into their labour force with high level training and the transfer of skills. Ongoing support is provided as well as a comprehensive upgrade path.
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