VTEL Holding Ltd., a Dubai-based multinational telecommunications corporation, announced today that it’s selected Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) to design, deploy and maintain the first commercial WiMax 802.16e-2005 network in Georgia – the Eastern Europe country, not the Peach State.

 

The new WiMax services will be deployed by VTEL Georgia LLC , a Greenfield operator established by VTEL Holding under the brand MAXIMALI in major cities by September.

 

According to the terms of the turnkey contract, Alcatel-Lucent will supply a comprehensive infrastructure solution, which includes WiMax Rev-e radio access – base stations, wireless access controllers, and operations and maintenance center. To ensure the highest quality and availability of services for the end-users, the core IP network will be based on Alcatel-Lucent Service Router family, according to the company.

 

To provide support for the backhaul requirements for the network, Alcatel-Lucent says it’ll provide the 9500 Microwave Cross Connect system. This will also support integration optimization and commissioning services, and network- planning and engineering, according to the company.

 

Alcatel-Lucent says that this contract highlights the company’s ability to provide the most advanced WiMax solution to its customers. WiMax is a key element for the company in its universal broadband access strategy. The partnership also confirms the company’s strong presence in Georgian market, company officials say.

 

Integrating the latest technological innovations, such as “beam forming” and MIMO, lcatel-Lucent’s Universal WiMax solution enables a service provider to significantly reduce the number of radio sites needed to provide coverage. It also allows them to reduce interference and provide better indoor penetration of the radio signal. MIMO helps make radio links more powerful, where the capacity delivered in dense urban environments is nearly doubled.

 

“VTEL Georgia LLC is pioneering the introduction of WiMax services in the region. Since January 2008, VTEL Georgia has been running a WiMax trial with a limited number of customers in Tbilisi and Batumi. The objective of the trial is to demonstrate the effectiveness of WIMAX technology,” said Khaled Rifai, chief technical officer of VTEL Holdings LTD. “WiMax technology is an ideal solution for building broadband data and voice services in Georgia, addressing the country’s needs for developing the telecom infrastructure while overcoming the geographical challenges. We selected Alcatel-Lucent because the company has demonstrated its leadership in this domain and its commitment to help operators meet the unique needs of their subscribers.”