BelAir Networks and SpringNet® Bring Wi-Fi Downtown in Springfield, Missouri
Residents and Businesses in the Downtown Area Get Free Broadband Wireless Access
Kanata, Ontario, March 14, 2005 - Residents, students, and businesspeople in downtown Springfield now have free wireless Internet access thanks to BelAir Networks, the first company to offer scalable wide-area wireless broadband for metro-scale deployments, and SpringNet®, a division of City Utilities of Springfield, MO, and a next generation broadband service provider.
The initial network rollout covers a portion of the Springfield downtown, an area that includes South Street, Walnut Street, the Discovery Center, Park Central Square and the Gillioz Theater areas. Users anywhere in this wireless hot zone have free access to the network to check email, or surf the Internet.
"SpringNet was looking at alternative solutions to extend our existing fiber network in areas that were cost-prohibitive to build. It was important to find a solution that allowed us to leverage and distribute additional bandwidth in the easiest, most cost-effective way," stated Dan Brewer, Product and Services Manager, SpringNet. "BelAir's multi-radio backhaul mesh provides bandwidth that is head and shoulders above the rest. The ability to run up to 16 virtual LANs (VLANs) over the wireless mesh gives us the security and flexibility to expand the network with additional applications beyond wireless voice, video and data applications, to support secure utility, city and private business use."
BelAir was selected after an extensive review process. SpringNet ultimately selected the BelAir solution because it was the only one that delivered high bandwidth wireless backhaul and Layer 2 VLAN capabilities. Another deciding factor was BelAir's flexible, multi-radio design for its wireless switch routers, which will allow SpringNet to leverage their fiber network by expanding the wireless network throughout the city when required and adding future wireless technologies as they become available.
"We applaud Springfield for its community-centric approach to developing a broadband wireless network in the city," said Phil Belanger, vice-president of marketing for BelAir Networks. "Because of the extensive fiber network it already had in place, SpringNet was able to work with BelAir to create a network with the potential to both enhance the development of Springfield in the near-term, and expand to offer new revenue channels, and applications to the city in the years to come."
The BelAir200 used in Springfield is a four-radio, wireless multi-service switch router that is built specifically for outdoor deployments. Each BelAir200 includes an access radio module that uses the 2.4 GHz band to support Wi-Fi client access. The access radio is connected to integrated antennas that project Wi-Fi signals over wide open areas and directly into multi-story buildings from the outside.
Every BelAir200 can also be configured with up to three separate 5 GHz backhaul radio modules. These radios and their associated antennas are used to connect multiple BelAir200 systems in a wireless backhaul mesh that takes client traffic to and from the Internet. The resulting system delivers unmatched capacity, security and scalability for large-scale wireless applications.
The complete system is packaged in a small, environmentally-hardened enclosure designed to be mounted directly on light poles in parking lots or on city streets.
The wireless network deployed in Springfield is funded in part by a nonprofit community improvement organization, the Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District (CID), as part of the area's urban renewal program. CID is an organization chartered to visibly improve the city's downtown. Over the last few years, the downtown area has seen tremendous growth and revitalization. With the support of the downtown businesses, CID facilitates this growth through beautification of streetscapes, maintenance of public parking lots, and through cooperative marketing efforts such as creating a community website, and providing free broadband wireless.
About SpringNet®
SpringNet is a next generation Metro Ethernet Provider offering Business to Internet access solutions up to 1Gbps and Business-to-Business Ethernet solutions up to 10 Gbps. Interconnected with a host of other Broadband carriers, SpringNet is able to provide connectivity virtually anywhere. SpringNet also offers data collocation services at SpringNet Underground. This facility is approximately 85-ft. underground and provides a naturally hardened environment. This highly secure carrier neutral data facility has a dedicated substation feed, redundant UPS, generators, environmental control equipment, as well as two physically diverse fiber optic network feeds. SpringNet offers custom space and third, half, or full cabinets configurations for customer systems.
SpringNet has designed all of our services to be of Utility-grade, providing businesses with the solutions they need to address today's demanding data and bandwidth needs. For more information, Please visit SpringNet at www.springnet.net
About BelAir Networks
BelAir Networks is the first company to offer scalable, wide-area wireless broadband solutions with the highest quality for data, voice and video. BelAir's wireless networking solutions are built on the only multi-service architecture for wide-area wireless broadband deployments of Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and 3G Cellular networks. Built specifically for outdoor deployments, BelAir Networks' patented solution delivers the lowest cost per user and deploys in days, blending into the physical infrastructure of downtown business districts, hotels and resorts, and college campuses. Founded in 2001, BelAir Networks is a privately held company headquartered in Kanata, Ontario.
For More Information Contact:
Joe Aragona
Director, Marketing
613-254-7070 ext. 134
info@belairnetworks.com