Wireless Turn-Key Services Inc., a new company based in Long Beach, Calif., introduced a system designed to replace fiber-optic cable for local telephone companies and competitive local exchange carriers, including wireless CLECs.
Carriers could use the technology instead of fiber-optic cable or microwave transmission links. Based on wireless laser technology, the system is designed to increase carrying capacity up to and including OC-12, said the company. The high frequency at which lasers operate and recent advances in laser technology make the increased bandwidth possible, said the company.
“Infrared technology is well suited to high data rates,” said the company. “Today’s modern laser communication systems provide network connectivity at full network speed and up to 155 Mbps.”
WTS said increased bandwidth will be important for emerging data applications as well as teleconferencing, live video, entertainment applications and even telemedicine.
Another benefit of laser technology, explained WTS, is that it is secure. Laser beams are confined and ride on a narrow beam that cannot be intercepted. The system also will accept any scrambling technology that is native to fiber.
The system operates in the near infrared transmission band around 850 nm and is unregulated by the Federal Communications Commission. WTS said its system operates on the same principle and at the same frequency as TV remote controls or remote keyboards for computers.
The company said it doesn’t expect any future government regulation on the technology because its beam is confined to a very small area and therefore is not as scarce as frequencies used for cellular and personal communications services transmissions.
WTS said using this portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is a natural choice because the physical devices that transmit and receive infrared beams are plentiful and inexpensive.
“This is more evolutionary than revolutionary since this equipment has been employed in Europe for high-speed data communications for some time,” commented Jack Hawley, company president.
Because infrared connectivity is limited to line-of-sight links, the distance between transmitting locations should be no more than 2.5 miles, said the company.
WTS is working with Colorado-based Eagle Optoelectronics, which is using a new concept called multibeam-multipath technology to ensure the system reliability is within industry standards. WTS said it planned to have available both equipment and system designs as of last week.
The company has completed trials with Deutsche Telekom, which is replacing its 38 GHz microwave links with the technology.
