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Wi-LAN is scheduled to release the latest version of its fixed wireless base station, which comes with a guaranteed upgrade to the WiMax standard when WiMax-certified equipment becomes available next year.
Libra MX is designed for carriers and large enterprises that want fixed wireless for applications ranging from T-1 replacements to urban wireless hot spots.
The base station operates in the 3.5GHz frequency band. Running in NLOS (non-line-of-sight) environments, it offers data throughput of 288M bps for up to 12,000 users per cell, at a range of up to 30 kilometers, officials said.
The Libra MX base station goes into beta tests next month and will be generally available in January, according to company officials.
The initial deployments are slated to be rolled out in Asia, Europe and Africa, but officials said U.S. customers have shown tentative interest in the technology.
“The U.S. is gun-shy,” said Sayed-Amr El-Hamamsy, president and CEO of Wi-LAN. “Theyll probably be slower to adopt, but there is a market.”