USI Wireless' Minneapolis Network Has Highest Speeds of Any Metro Wi-Fi Network in The U.S. According to Preliminary Tests
Independent Testing Reveals Performance that Rivals Cable with
Twice the Speed of 3G
MINNEAPOLIS--(Business Wire)--BelAir Networks, the leading provider of mobile broadband mesh
network solutions, congratulates USI Wireless for delivering the
highest speeds of any metro Wi-Fi network in the U.S., according to
preliminary testing by independent third party consulting firm,
Novarum. The testing took place in December, 2007.
The Minneapolis wireless network, powered by BelAir Networks
award-winning wireless infrastructure equipment, is becoming the
defacto standard for municipal networks. Deployed by USI Wireless, the
network has consistently delivered industry-leading speed and
reliability and was widely applauded by the city for its performance
in supporting recovery efforts following the tragic I-35W bridge
collapse in 2007. The network was also recently recognized with a W2i
Digital Cities Wireless Communities Best Practices Award.
"We committed to delivering the best wireless network possible to
the City of Minneapolis," said Joe Caldwell, CEO, USI Wireless. "We
have deployed a network architecture that delivers the country's
highest performance and stands as a role model for successful
municipal wireless networks."
USI Wireless Performance Leads Industry
The USI Wireless network delivered the highest network performance
-- for both the 802.11n and internal 802.11g clients -- of any
networks that Novarum has tested for the firm's Novarum Wireless
Broadband Review (NWBR). Novarum's audit of USI Wireless' Minneapolis
Network (Phase 1, Zones 1 and 5) also stated that "laptop clients
operating on the network will have Service Availability rivaling 3G
networks in the U.S. with twice the performance."
"Many cities are re-evaluating their requirements for citywide
wireless networks and USI Wireless has architected and deployed a
state-of-art network that truly delivers performance as advertised,"
said Ken Biba, Chief Technology Officer, Novarum. "Our early tests of
the USI Wireless network confirm the value that a well-designed
wireless network can provide to a city -- wireless performance that
rivals cable and exceeds both 3G and DSL."
Test results also revealed low Round Trip Delay (RTD). This result
is consistent with the fact that the network has already proven itself
in real-time video surveillance applications, which were used by
emergency response teams to monitor the bridge collapse site.
"USI Wireless has set a new standard for citywide wireless
networks -- both in their technology and their business model," stated
Bernard Herscovich, President and CEO, BelAir Networks. "With Public
Safety as a key driver of the Minneapolis network, both USI Wireless
and the City understood the importance of deploying the
highest-performing wireless mesh technology. We're honored to support
this industry-leading network."
Novarum has developed the first standardized benchmarks for
overall wireless network performance. The company tests wireless mesh
networks world-wide with industry-standard tools and methodology to
assess performance, availability and quality of service, from a user
perspective. BelAir Networks contracted Novarum to conduct the
independent testing of the USI Wireless Network. Media and analysts
interested in a summary of the report can contact
info@belairnetworks.com.
BelAir Networks CTO, Stephen Rayment, will be hosting a live
webcast: "Mission Critical Broadband for Public Safety and ITS" on
Tuesday, February 12 at 2:00 pm EST, and on Thursday, February 14 at
2:00 pm EST. For more details or to register go to
www.belairnetworks.com/webcasts.
BelAir Networks technology will also be featured at the
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Fifth
Annual Winter Summit being held January 28-30, 2008 in Orlando. James
Farstad, President of rClient and consultant on the City of
Minneapolis wireless project will also be presenting at APCO on
"Leveraging Broadband to Improve Public Safety and Emergency Crisis
Response -- Lessons learned from the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse"
on Tuesday, January 29, 8:45 am - 10:45 am. "The Minneapolis network
is designed to be a true multi-purpose network supporting Public
Safety and allowing the City of Minneapolis to streamline the delivery
of City services. In addition, the network will provide high quality
fixed and mobile broadband services to residents, businesses and
visitors," said James Farstad, President, rClient, a Minneapolis-based
business optimization consultancy. "The contract between City of
Minneapolis and USI Wireless also includes a ground-breaking Community
Benefits Agreement that will significantly accelerate Digital
Inclusion initiatives and provide free neighborhood-oriented Community
Civic Garden Portals (www.wirelessminneapolis.org) throughout the
City."
About USI Wireless
USI Wireless is a whole owned subsidiary of US Internet
(www.usinternet.com) founded in 1995. Specializing in large scale
deployments of wireless mesh technologies, USI Wireless has become the
industry leader in high speed, high availability, low latency
networks. With a foot print of nearly 60 square miles, USI Wireless'
network deployment in the City of Minneapolis is the largest WIFI
wireless network in the world. It is widely recognized as the
benchmark for performance, availability and reliability industry-wide.
USI Wireless is focused on providing access to affordable broadband
service to communities world-wide. Our commitment to the customer is
evidenced by our 24 hour customer support staff backed by a seasoned
technology group that understand the needs and issues of today's
government, business and residential customers. Completely
self-sufficient, USI Wireless is unique in its ability to control
every aspect of network development -- from concept to design,
installation and implementation, to the day-to-day maintenance and
operation of the network. This ability gives USI Wireless a distinct
advantage in securing the best possible service for its customers and
provides a level of experience and expertise that is second to none.
For more information regarding USI Wireless, please visit
www.usiwireless.com
About BelAir Networks
BelAir Networks is the first company to offer scalable, mobile
wireless broadband mesh networking solutions with the highest quality
for data, voice and video. The company teams with world-class global
partners to deploy proven, cost-effective wireless broadband mesh
networks. BelAir's wireless networking solutions are built on the only
multi-service architecture for municipal wireless broadband
deployments of Wi-Fi, WiMAX and 3G Cellular networks. Built
specifically for outdoor-in deployments, BelAir Networks' patented
solution delivers the lowest cost per user and deploys in days,
blending into the physical infrastructure of downtown business
districts, hotels and resorts, and campuses. Founded in 2001, BelAir
Networks is a privately held company. For more info, visit
www.belairnetworks.com.
BelAir Networks
Sheila Burpee Duncan, 613-254-7070 ext. 134
sburpeeduncan@belairnetworks.com
or
Breakaway Communications for BelAir Networks
Alicia Mickelsen, 212-616-6002
amick@breakawaycom.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
