Liberty Technologies Mobile WiMax Deployment
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Liberty Technologies upgraded its network in Panama to a mobile WiMAX system, enhancing broadband access through 24 wireless base stations while maintaining a competitive edge without affecting existing subscribers. The migration, completed in July 2007, allowed for efficient service delivery and the introduction of new Wi-Fi offerings, branded as 'Wipet'. Future upgrades plan to include mobile access and voice services, positioning WiMAX as a viable broadband option in the region.
Liberty Technologies Mobile WiMax Deployment
- 1. Customer Case Study Panamanian Service Provider Upgrades to Mobile WiMAX Network Liberty Technologies deployed commercial WiMAX network for residential broadband and Wi-Fi hotspots. Challenge EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As in North America and Europe, incumbent telcos in emerging market LIBERTY TECHNOLOGIES ● Service provider with WiMAX network regions such as Central America have deployed DSL over copper ● Panama City, Panama phone lines, and cable operators have coaxial cable infrastructures in ● 65 employees place. The cable footprint, however, is often limited due to the high CHALLENGE cost and difficulty of installation in old and densely populated city ● Deploy WiMAX technology to enhance efficiencies, and interoperability with areas. New, broadband service provider entrants must, therefore, technologies based on open standards either deploy or lease copper or cable resources or choose another ● Establish competitive differentiation without adversely affecting existing subscriber base method of bringing network services to market. ● Create business model to pursue multiple markets with WiMAX and Wi-Fi technologies In 2002, Liberty Technologies, then exclusively an infrastructure SOLUTION provider to ISPs in Panama, was assigned a portion of the 3.5-GHz ● Mobile broadband wireless network spectrum by the Panamanian government. Liberty launched a RESULTS residential network service based on Time Division-Synchronous Code ● Successfully migrated network from TD- SCDMA to IEEE 802.16e WiMAX Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) wireless networking technology. ● Migrated to WiMAX Forum Network Profile C The company determined that deploying a wired or cable service ● Network ready for third-party modem support would be prohibitively expensive and would not allow for a competitively priced broadband service. Instead, a wireless network could be deployed quickly and inexpensively and had a promising future as a WAN access technology. In the next four years, as WiMAX technology standards and associated products and applications evolved, Liberty worked closely with Cisco to explore a business case and upgrade path that would encompass the newer, wireless technology. Liberty wanted to be able to offer a choice of different access speeds; integrate services with chipsets embedded in third-party laptops, PDAs, and handsets; and take advantage of many other standards-based features. The improved performance of WiMAX, with higher modulation for better spectral efficiency and throughput and more efficient and cost-effective use of the network, also made the technology very appealing. Solution The migration to WiMAX was accomplished in July 2007 with a software upgrade to the 802.16e WiMAX standard. Liberty deployed 24 wireless base stations around Panama City and in two neighboring cities in the WiMAX Profile B ® architecture using the Cisco BWX 8305 Base Station, Cisco BWX 8305 Base Station Antenna, and the Cisco Broadband Wireless Gateway (BWG) on Cisco 7300 Series Routers. The coverage area is shown in Figure 1. Note that the figure uses Liberty’s WiMAX service mascot, the space alien, to show the areas in Panama City where coverage is available. © 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 4
- 2. Customer Case Study Figure 1. Liberty WiMAX Coverage throughout Panama City The 24 base stations deployed by Liberty utilize beamforming, a technology that can double the system throughput for a mobile WiMAX network while at the same time reducing the number of cell sites needed by nearly half. This coverage is achieved by “beaming” a signal directly to each user instead of blanketing an entire coverage area. The Cisco BWG provides critical Mobile WiMAX access service network (ASN) services, including device and subscriber authentication, mobility management, mobile IP foreign agent functionality, encryption key distribution, and advanced quality of service (QoS) management. “The initial move to WiMAX was more for our benefit and wasn’t evident to our customers,” says Liberty Chief Executive Officer, Moises Abadi. “Because there were no service calls necessary to upgrade the base stations, the operational costs were low. And the centralized nature of the system makes it much easier to troubleshoot and fix. Redundancy is another benefit. We now also have the ability to support third-party modems.” The Profile C network upgrade included replacement of the existing Cisco 7300 Series Routers with Cisco 7600 Series Routers as a platform for the new ASN gateway on a Cisco Service Application Module for IP (SAMI) blade. Liberty sells the easy-to-install WiMAX modems at a discount at retail stores such as supermarkets, drug stores, and electronics stores. The modems can also be ordered through the Wipet website (www.wipet.com). Prepaid and postpaid service plans for days or months are available, some offering partial rebates off the cost of the modem. Consumers can also choose the broadband access speeds that they prefer: 128 kbps, 256 kbps 512 kbps, or 1.5 Mbps. “We think WiMAX will be one of the most important technologies for easy, quick access to the Internet.” —Moises Abadi, CEO, Liberty Technologies Alongside the WiMAX service, Liberty’s Wisper HotZone Wi-Fi service, utilizing Cisco Linksys Business Series Wi-Fi routers and prepaid service via a web interface, has brought in new customers looking for broadband Internet access in restaurants, hotels, airports, and area hospitals. In January 2008, Liberty re-branded the residential WiMAX service “Wipet,” using the song “Whip It” by the U.S. technopop group Devo as the theme in a series of TV and online ads. A fast-moving space alien was created to be the mascot (Figure 2) for broadcast, print, and billboard advertising. © 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 4
- 3. Customer Case Study Figure 2. Liberty’s Wipet WiMAX Service Space Alien Mascot www.wipet.com Results Thus far, Liberty has been promoting the portability rather than the mobility of WiMAX, because consumers can easily take their modems from place to place, including on boats on the bay. In 2009, Liberty plans to upgrade to WiMAX Release 7.1, which will allow for mobile access to the Wipet service via USB modems or wireless cards in laptops, PDAs, and handsets. Liberty is now testing voice over WiMAX and is also in discussions with a satellite TV provider to bundle triple-play data, voice, and TV service. Since 2002, Liberty has maintained a close relationship with Cisco and serves as an Early Field Trial (EFT) customer. Two field sites are provided for testing of new WiMAX and Wi-Fi solutions in the dense, radio-frequency- intensive environment of Panama City. And since deploying its WiMAX network, Liberty has hosted visits from managers of other service providers throughout South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Russia, who are considering the technology for their markets. “We’re happy to help spread the word about WiMAX; that it is economical and practical, to help make it a credible broadband option throughout the world,” says Salomon Zayat, COO of Liberty Technologies “Especially with the new mobility features, we think the market will grow and that mobile WiMAX will be seen as a major access technology.” For More Information To find out more about Cisco broadband wireless, go to: http://www.cisco.com/go/wimax To find out more about Liberty Technologies Wipet WiMAX Service, go to:http://www.wipet.com PRODUCT LIST Routing and Switching ● Cisco 7600 Series Routers with Broadband Wireless Gateway Wireless ● Cisco BWX 8305 Basestation ● Cisco BWX 8305 Basestation Antenna ● Cisco BWX 210 Desktop Modem ● Cisco BWX 350 USB Modem © 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 4
- 4. Customer Case Study Printed in USA C36-552797-00 08/09 © 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 4