ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. launched its EDGE-based wireless wide area network connectivity service, which the carrier said is the first commercially available solution using a gateway device at the edge of a company’s information technology network to provide enhanced and secure wide-area connectivity for data operations.
Cingular noted that the system, which uses Digi International’s Connect WAN GSM wireless gateway, allows customers to configure their local area networks so that the wireless WAN connectivity service automatically activates should the wireline connection be interrupted. The service also can be used as a primary data connection for companies with remote or temporary operations where there is no readily available wireline access.
“We’ve seen considerable interest in the wireless WAN connectivity service from a number of companies who want to use a wireless data solution with a gateway device at their network edge to provide redundant connectivity,” said Jeff Bradley, vice president of business data solutions for Cingular.
Cingular added that it was working with parent companies SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. to begin offering the solution to enterprise customers later this year.
