Software Defined Base Station Trials Underway

Vanu and Mid-Tex Cellular have announced the successful trial deployment of the world's first all-software GSM basestation system in a commercial cellular network. In a trial installation, which will run through the end of the year, the two companies have successfully Vanu Software Radio technology into Mid-Tex Cellular's 8,000 square mile 800 MHz network. This trial, the first of its kind, demonstrates the viability of a software defined radio basestation solution.

Vanu has deployed its software radio basestation at Mid-Tex Cellular sites in DeLeon and Gorman, Texas. The network's BTS and BSC are each a Vanu Software Radio application running on Hewlett-Packard ProLiant servers. In addition, an ADC Digivance system and TELOS Sonata SE softswitch have been installed to complete the solution, a configuration that allows Mid-Tex Cellular to field the first end-to-end GSM "soft" network.

"The trial has exceeded my expectations," stated Toney Prather, CEO of Mid-Tex Cellular. "Not only has the Vanu Software Radio solution worked, but I am now convinced there are significant operational advantages to the system, as well. The overall network flexibility, ease of installation and performance reliability suggest that software radio technology is the wave of the future."

Carri Bennet, a partner in Bennet & Bennet, a Washington, DC-based law firm, who introduced Vanu, Inc. and Mid-Tex Cellular, sees a great deal of promise in software radio for rural carriers. "The success of the Mid-Tex trial represents a watershed event for the rural wireless carrier community. In less than one year we went from discussion to development to deployment of a completely new GSM wireless network based on a Vanu Software Radio solution. I believe this technology could have a major and immediate impact on our industry."

The trial, which extends through the end of 2003, is being watched closely by many in the wireless industry. Said Allen Nogee, Principal Analyst at research firm In-Stat/MDR, "The results of the Mid-Tex trial demonstrate that software radio technology is here at last. I consider what Vanu, Inc has achieved in such a relatively short period of time a major accomplishment."

Posted to the site on 7th October 2003