fSONA, ADC team to expand Mexican cellular network

August 9, 2005 McLean, VA -- To expand its cellular network, NII Holdings, a subsidiary of Nextel Mexico, is employing fSONA's SONAbeam optical wireless platform in conjunction with ADC's Digivance Long-Range Coverage Solution (LRCS). The companies say the platforms have already been installed at multiple sites in Acapulco and Tijuana, with more sites planned for future deployments.

The installation of the SONAbeam 1250-M, incorporating the ADC platform, provides coverage to the Tres Vidas resort and golf course in Acapulco. According to the operator, ADC's Digivance LRCS is often deployed with dedicated fiber; however, 5 km of challenging terrain between the operator's base station and the Tres Vidas golf course made fiber deployment an impractical prospect, leaving SONAbeam's optical wireless platform as the most viable option. As a result of the deployment, the operator says its subscribers today enjoy a full complement of wireless services throughout the resort.

"The Digivance LRCS allows us to use the existing resources from the actual EBTS [Enhanced Base Transceiver Station] to extend capacity to the resort, and the SONAbeam provides interference-free wireless backhaul at a fraction of the cost of laying fiber," comments Raul Ramirez Roman, vice president and CTO of Nextel Mexico.

"The Digivance system improves wireless networks by extending coverage from existing cell sites to hard-to-reach areas," adds George Reed, director of product management for ADC's Active Infrastructure business unit. "Optical wireless expands the opportunities for Digivance by providing an alternative to fiber and microwave connections for remote antenna backhaul."

"This landmark deployment with a major wireless carrier demonstrates that our dedication has paid off, and that optical wireless technology is moving into the mainstream of carrier applications," concludes Sunny Taylor, CEO of fSONA Systems.