CAMPBELL, CA--(Marketwire - April 13, 2010) - Exalt Communications, the company that is reinventing microwave backhaul, today announced that the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has deployed Exalt microwave backhaul systems to support reliable, high-speed wireless connectivity among 20 public buildings. Winter temperatures as low as -30 Fahrenheit had put the City's fiber optic links out of commission, but Exalt microwave backhaul links have been completely reliable, causing the City to rethink its annual spring efforts to repair freeze damage to its fiber lines.
Prior to choosing Exalt microwave technology, the City had used a mixture of millimeter wave wireless and fiber optic links to connect facilities such as fire stations, libraries, public works, parks and its utility billing department. "The millimeter wave radios we had been using just weren't reliable during moderate to severe rainstorms," said Kim Hansen, network administrator at the City of Sioux Falls. "Once we tried Exalt microwave systems, we found them to be completely reliable in all conditions."
The City initially deployed Exalt microwave backhaul systems to upgrade bandwidth on the connection between its City Hall and its utility billing department. The 100-megabit Ethernet links proved so reliable that the City replaced its millimeter wave links and built out a complete 100-megabit Exalt microwave backhaul network to support utility billing, VoIP, fire dispatch and administrative applications.
"We had initially thought of the Exalt microwave systems as something we needed for higher bandwidth at specific locations or as a backup to our fiber network, but this winter it has become our primary production network," said Hansen. "The resilience of these new microwave systems is really causing us to consider whether we will even spend the money to repair the fiber links once the ground thaws in the spring, because it's something we end up having to do every year."
The Exalt microwave backhaul systems were deployed by Calhoun Communications, an Exalt partner and wireless solutions provider in Sioux Falls. Calhoun initially deployed Exalt ruggedized, all-outdoor 5 GHz systems to support two links in the Sioux Falls network, and then installed Exalt 18 GHz split-mount radio systems to support all other links.
"Although fiber is often referred to as the 'gold standard' in network infrastructure, it obviously does not meet that standard for the City of Sioux Falls and other Exalt customers who deal with harsh climates and difficult terrain," said Amir Zoufonoun, president and CEO of Exalt Communications. "In addition to the reliability and performance that meets -- or beats -- fiber, Exalt microwave systems come with another benefit to customers, too -- a much lower cost of ownership. And that helps stretch budgets at a time when every dollar counts."
The Exalt Microwave Backhaul Product Portfolio
All Exalt microwave backhaul systems offer guaranteed link availability, guaranteed throughput and low, constant latency. Systems are available in world bands from 2 to 40 GHz and in capacities from 10 Mbps to more than 1000 Mbps per channel, providing a range of options to fit countless network applications. Designed to enable a smooth transition to IP, they offer native support for both TDM and Ethernet, and are fully software configurable and upgradeable. For easy and secure management using third-party network management systems, Exalt systems support SNMP v1, v2c and v3. Data security is provided by available FIPS 197-compliant AES 128-bit and 256-bit encryption that adds zero latency to the transmission. To simplify installation and maintenance, all Exalt systems feature an embedded manual and most include a built-in spectrum analyzer.
About Exalt Communications
Exalt Communications provides next-generation licensed and license-exempt microwave systems to service providers, government organizations and enterprises worldwide. Exalt products are designed to solve the network bottlenecks associated with the growing demand for IP-based voice, data and video applications and the resulting migration from TDM to IP-based networks. With a flexible architecture and universal product platform covering multiple market segments, Exalt provides a full range of carrier-class microwave radio systems that meet the demand for cost-effective and flexible alternatives to fiber and leased lines.
www.exaltcom.com
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
Pamela Valentine
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Exalt Communications
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Michael Schoolnik
Story Public Relations
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415-674-3816