Remote and urban communities located in the under-served last mile - outside the scope of major telecommunications coverage - cannot afford to wait for the rollout of broadband-ready, cable infrastructure if they hope to compete effectively and grow their local economy.
So says Lee-Anne Hutchins, Alvarion product manager at IT systems distributor, Comztek.
"Most small and mid-sized urban communities will be hard-pressed to provide a landline infrastructure capable of delivering broadband services without incurring exorbitant costs. Moreover, the private sector may not be able to independently access or develop the needed infrastructure that will meet the demands of the business community," she adds.
Hutchins says that deploying a municipal-wide wireless infrastructure is an ideal, cost-effective solution for urban communities seeking to jumpstart their communications capabilities. Wireless deployments enable significant increases in telecommunication capacity for the public sector. It also provides the basic infrastructure for the private sector to build systems capable of delivering voice and data services that meet the growing needs of the business community.
"The high-speed wireless network is a robust, efficient and inexpensive solution, compared to other fixed alternatives. The inherent, pay-as-you grow infrastructure allows municipalities to build out the network confidently and responsibly," she says.
Hutchins believes that a municipal wireless network can provide the basis for myriad revenue-generating and cost-saving services, benefiting every sector in the community.
"As far as public institutions and utilities are concerned, wireless networking provides an end-to-end connectivity solution (including voice, video and data) to virtually all government and law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, health facilities and many other municipal organisations. What is more, a wireless communications infrastructure is ideal for facilitating a broad spectrum of services and applications in the municipal environment. It links remote buildings with seamless communications services regardless of their proximity to one another.
"In addition, it connects remotely-located video cameras and other surveillance equipment for monitoring and security purposes in a variety of public institutions and utilities," she adds.
"In residential areas, wireless infrastructure is the easiest and most cost effective method of delivering broadband services. There is also a rapidly growing last-mile market segment that includes many SOHO (small office, home office) customers, many of whom rely on bandwidth-intensive communications for sustaining their businesses," she concludes.
For more information contact Lee-Anne Hutchins, Comztek, 011 237 1800.
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