GSM Coverage for Rural Alaska

Globecomm Systems says that ut has been awarded a contract valued at US$20.7 million from General Communication, an Alaska-based company to provide wireless phone services to 200 rural villages throughout Alaska.

The network will combine Globecomm's SatCell switching solution with UTStarcom's MovingMedia 2000 cellular soft switch platform and Vanu's Anywave Radio Access Network containing the first software-defined base station to be certified by the FCC. This unique wireless infrastructure approach provides GCI with the option to simultaneously operate multiple standards on a single network. The system architecture is based on distributed soft switch architecture with local survivability.

The key design attribute is that all services will make use of common hardware platforms initially deployed for GSM.

Upgrades to CDMA, 3G, Wimax or other broadband capabilities are performed remotely via software, which significantly minimizes operational expenses and additional capital investment as the operator does not need to physically go back to the site while increasing their offered services as technology advances.

David Hershberg, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Globecomm Systems said "This is a very important program for the Company and represents a milestone in our efforts to be a major player in providing small to medium size cellular systems to remote locations. GSI is a leader in innovative technology and the system to be supplied by Globecomm with our partners UTStarcom and Vanu represents the latest and most innovative approach to provide telephone and roaming services in a difficult environment of many small to medium locales throughout the state of Alaska. This technology is extremely cost effective and provides wireless service capabilities, including roaming, and be a model to be deployed in many parts of the world. The next large market for cellular will be for systems like this and GSI and our partners expect to be major players in its development.""

Posted to the site on 5th June 2007