http://www.belairnetworks.com/ BelAir Networks Clippings en-ca Copyright 2012. BelAir Networks Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:47:54 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/278/ Cablevision executives have said little since then about its WiFi phone strategy, but the company continues to invest in building its WiFi network, using gear from Canadian supplier BelAir Networks. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/277/ Canadian manufacturer BelAir Networks, which focuses on the mobile operator space, believes that the carriers are now recognizing that Wi-Fi embedded in their networks can unlock new markets and services. Ronny Haraldsvik, senior VP and chief marketing officer for BelAir Networks, says: ‘There has been a massive build up by cable companies. We know of over 100 trials by carriers for Wi-Fi and small cells. AT&T has done more than one billion connections in a 12 month span. So if you factor that up based on around 500 mobile operators and 100 cable operators, that comes to around 100 billion connections across the world.’ He continues: ‘Those are staggering numbers. We’ve done some analysis of Wi-Fi on carriers’ networks. There is a doubling of traffic after it is deployed. The intention may have been to deploy Wi-Fi as a means to offload traffic off the main network, but usage goes up to 20Tb of data. But a carrier does not want all this data going over its licensed spectrum.’ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/274/ The most famous example of this in the US is Cablevision, which has built a dense system of Wi-Fi hotspots and hotzones over its New York and north east territories, to offer a measure of fixed/mobile convergence and added value to its cable subscribers. It can also tap mobile operators for revenue should they want to use the WLans for offload. BrightHouse Networks, the smallest of the three cablecos in the Clearwire group, has just announced that it take the same approach, and like Cablevision is working with carrier Wi-Fi provider BelAir Networks. Most US cablecos have given up on the idea of building their own mobile networks - the other Clearwire cablecos, Comcast and Time Warner, along with Cox, are defecting from their Sprint alliances to team up with Verizon, selling their spectrum to the operator in return for access to its LTE network and fixed/mobile cross-selling. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/273/ or the last few years, an alternate wireless network has been emerging in the U.S.: one not built by the mobile operators but by cable providers. Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast have all launched numerous Wi-Fi hotspots in their service areas, and last week, Bright House joined the club, turning on 2,000 outdoor and indoor hotspots across the state of Florida. The Multiple Service Operators (MSOs) have latched onto the idea of Wi-Fi as a way of extending their home and business broadband services to customers on the go, and it’s paying dividends. Why haven’t their mobile counterparts followed suit? Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/272/ For one thing, its main wholesale customers apart from Sprint were the cablecos Cox, Comcast and BrightHouse Networks. The first two have now thrown their lot in with Verizon's LTE platform, while BrightHouse has just announced that it will adopt a Wi-Fi route for its wireless strategy, emulating CableVision. It will work with carrier Wi-Fi provider BelAir Networks. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/271/ In the short term, wireless-industry experts expect the problems with mobile networks - and for the companies that use them - to increase. "The operators are in a capacity crunch right now," warns Ronny Haraldsvik, senior vice president at BelAir Networks, a Canadian provider of wireless technology. "Where there is good coverage, people consume huge amounts of data." Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/270/ Cable TV companies for the most part may have abandoned the idea of building their own mobile networks, but increasingly they are warming up to the idea of building Wi-Fi networks in their key residential services markets. The latest cable guy to do so is Bright House Networks, which late last week announce that it has worked with its vendor, BelAir Networks, to roll out more than 2,000 Wi-Fi access points in Florida. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/268/ Bright House is using WiFi gear from Canadian vendor BelAir Networks, which also supplies WiFi hardware and software to Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC). Its high-speed Internet subscribers get access to the WiFi hotspots for free. It is charging non-subscribers that discover its WiFi hotspots on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops fees ranging from $1.99 per minute to $19.95 weekly for wireless Internet access. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/267/ Bright House has deployed Wi-Fi access points from BelAir Networks. Initially the operator has concentrated the Wi-Fi buildout in marina areas, including Clearwater, Daytona Beach, Ybor City and River Walk. The company said it will also "concentrate on areas where its customers heavily travel," such as the International Drive tourist strip in Orlando and shopping centers. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/269/ Bright House SVP of Network Engineering and Operations Craig Cowden cleared up the MSO's Wi-Fi vendor situation -- it'll be spreading the wealth between BelAir and Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO). "BelAir is the only current AP vendor. However, we plan to also deploy Cisco APs -- perhaps as early as the first half of the year. At this point, we plan to balance our AP equipment across these two vendors," he said in an emailed statement. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/262/ Neither the technology nor the competitive structure of the industry is mature. The FCC's archaic and rigid way of allocating spectrum rights leaves much of the airwaves bottled up in inefficient uses or idle. That won't last forever. Unlicensed spectrum used by WiFi is also becoming a bigger factor in how we get data to our devices wherever we happen to be. Ronny Haraldsvik of WiFi specialist BelAir Networks says a "land grab" is under way (and the cable companies are winning) to establish hotspot rights in the nation's metropolitan areas, suggesting WiFi will play a bigger role than anyone might have guessed in making ubiquitous broadband possible. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/263/ BelAir Networks’ Rayment said that the mean size of cable WiFi networks in 2012 is expected to double over previous installations. Size alone, of course, doesn’t indicate a greater level of sophistication or robustness. That is coming as well, he said. Coming WiFi projects will feature deeper integration with the core network — they no longer can be “bolt-ons,” Rayment said — with deeper levels of policy creation and enforcement and security. “There is a switch-over from one way of doing it to another,” he said. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/266/ In this past year alone, Vodafone reports around 69% growth in mobile data across the Group compared with 25% for voice. As we move into 2012 this upward curve shows no sign of dipping. What impact will this have on the mobile broadband industry? Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/265/ Based on trends observed through the BelAirBI Business Intelligence tool and data extrapolated from both internal and third party sources, networking specialist, BelAir Networks has compiled 4 Big Network Predictions for 2012. When combined, these predictions all point to the emergence of the Metro Gig Zone offering bright lights for mobile broadband, particularly in big cities where wireless networks are challenged by highly dense pockets of data usage: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/264/ BelAir, as the leader, has kept up with the evolving scenario by delivering ever more products with the scaling and specific functionalities essential to various segment requirements, including those of the evolving cable strategy. For example, Haraldsvik said, the firm’s controller and management system can now manage up to 100,000 access points within a large metro deployment. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/261/ BelAir Networks recently announced the launch of GigXone, a small network wireless system that enables carriers, fixed and mobile, to make use of Wi-Fi as part of their overall network strategy beyond just “offload.” The system claims to offer new business models, such as hosted WLAN services, thereby bringing new sources of revenue to carriers. Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/259/ Mobile operators are paying hotspot aggregators for mobile offload capacity. Why not the other way around? BelAir Networks thinks operators should think big, building their own monster metro Wi-Fi networks, then turn around and sell that capacity back to aggregators and everyone else. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/258/ BelAir Networks has unveiled the GigXone small cell system for mobile carriers. GigXone allows mobile carriers to offer network data capacity and wireless coverage in dense metropolitan areas, 'HotZones', office and school campus locations and for fixed carriers who want to offer mobile access outside. The GigXone system of multimode or Wi-Fi small cell network access and backhaul options is suited to extend existing broadband services into densely populated areas challenged by macro mobile coverage, capacity and/or backhaul issues, or overall business economics associated with providing wireless coverage and capacity in such areas, both indoors and outside. GigXone is built on BelAir Networks carrier Wi-Fi network integration with carriers' existing service infrastructure and billing systems. The GigXone physical system is comprised of Carrier Cloud and HotZone controllers and a portfolio of GPS-enabled small form factor, multimode access points and backhaul products. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/256/ BelAir Networks, founded a decade ago to tap into the burgeoning metrozone market, no longer likes to be known as a Wi-Fi firm, but is still focusing on metrozones in their newer incarnation - carrier-controlled, running a mixture of Wi-Fi and cellular small cells, and hugely scalable. The company has, in the past few years, become part of the strategies of large cellcos and cablecos by supporting high level data offload to WLans, and now it is moving further into the heart of the carrier network with its GigXone offering. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/255/ Wireless equipment manufacturer BelAir Networks has today (15 November 2011) unveiled its GigXone small cell system for mobile carriers. The system is designed to allow mobile carriers or fixed line operators wanting to offer wireless access with the ability to provide customers with a full gigabit of broadband data even in areas of high density demand. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/254/ If mobile operators are going to make Wi-Fi a key part of their data strategies, they might as well go big, generating enormous amount of offload capacity they can not only use to relieve their beleaguered 3G and 4G networks but also sell to their partners – at least that’s what metro Wi-Fi equipment dealer BelAir Networks proposes. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/260/ If mobile operators are going to make Wi-Fi a key part of their data strategies, they might as well go big, generating enormous amount of offload capacity they can not only use to relieve their beleaguered 3G and 4G networks but also sell to their partners – at least that’s what metro Wi-Fi equipment dealer BelAir Networks proposes. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/275/ BelAir CMO Ronny Haraldsvik explains why operators are making use of Wi-Fi as part of their small cell strategies and how BelAir is integrating licensed and unlicensed technology to deal with its data deluge Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.belairnetworks.com/news/press_releases/view.cfm/c_id/276/ Ronny Haraldsvik, CMO of BelAir Networks, tells Keith Dyer that as operators deploy denser networks, with smaller cell sizes, they will need to be pragmatic as to how they support their access and backhaul needs. They will also need flexible technology solutions that can support this pragmatic approach. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST