Polewall launches optical wireless link targeting FTTx

Norwegian company Polewall AS has introduced the LH-100, a 100/100-Mbps symmetrical optical wireless bridge targeting the price-sensitive broadband access market.

“Our 100-Mbps link is a temporary means of connecting customers to broadband infrastructure while waiting for the fiber-optic cable to be completed,” said Polewall’s Executive Chairman Carl-Fredrik Lehland, adding that “both business and residential customers can now be connected in days, not weeks or months.”

Rapid service activation increases customer satisfaction, reduces churn, and accelerates revenue generation for the operators, he adds.

Featuring robotic alignment and tracking and an iPhone-based commissioning tool, the link can be installed by a single field engineer in less than an hour. With its low latency and jitter the link handles triple play and HD streaming with fiber-like quality, the company claims.

“Polewall's solution for home drops offers interesting possibilities in geographies where trenching is expensive and markets where lead times are so long that customers don't have the patience to wait,” said Benôit Felten, chief research officer of consultancy firm Diffraction Analysis.

Historical buildings, paved roads, and manicured parks all add time and complexity to a fiber-optic network’s rollout. Polewall’s LH-100 has a small footprint, is license free worldwide, and can even be non-intrusively installed on the inside of building windows.

The patented LH-100 is a 100/100-Mbps symmetrical optical wireless bridge that reuses the principles of free space optics (FSO) technology from advanced military and space applications. Optical wireless technology differs from radio-based wireless links in that it is immune to radio interference, does not use valuable radio spectrum, and can therefore be used repeatedly in densely populated areas.

For more information on free space optical systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.