Ruckus Positions 802.11n As WiMax Rival

Ruckus Wireless introduced an 802.11n-based system with enough reach and speed to compete with WiMax, the firm said Monday.

The wireless broadband access solution includes outdoor mesh access points, customer premises equipment, Wi-Fi backhaul, and system-wide remote management. It's the latest 802.11n-based offering of ultra high-speed, robust Wi-Fi wireless technology.

While the company believes the WBA solution will appeal to a broad range of customers, it is targeting carriers in emerging markets. "Service providers everywhere now view Wi-Fi as an essential service offering," said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless, in a statement. "In emerging geographies where there remain huge opportunities for broadband access, rolling out fixed line or traditional wireless broadband technologies is often not possible or cost-prohibitive. We've delivered a one-of-a-kind solution to solve this problem."

Ruckus has mated 802.11n technology with its advanced antenna solutions as well as with beam-forming software for dealing with interference problems. The firm's Smart Mesh scheme routes traffic over wired and wireless access points and helps carriers dispense with much of the expensive access and backhaul gear of other wireless approaches. Ruckus said WBA infrastructure systems can be deployed in months and can serve areas that have systems that would require years of deployment.

Ruckus pointed to Triad Telecom, a broadband provider of VoIP and Internet services, as an example of WBA use that cuts costs of wireless access and long-range backhaul services. "Up to now, we've had to cobble together point products from different companies and figure out how to efficiently manage it all," said Triad president Don Annas in a statement. "Now we don't have to."

With wireless backhaul costs typically running to 60% of Triad's total infrastructure cost, Annas said Ruckus is able to reduce the backhaul cost significantly.

Ruckus envisions its WBA competing with WiMax in some regions because of WBA's low cost and ease of installation.

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