Buzz Broadband is a locally based Carrier and ISP operating in the cities of Bundaberg, Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Childers. As an existing Airspan customer, Buzz Broadband has deployed broadband wireless services to date using Airspan AS.WiMax Systems for its 22 base stations and backhaul links. It is now expanding that network with Airspan's WiMAX products to deliver telecommunications services throughout the region as the only viable broadband alternative to incumbent Telstra for 150,000 people in and around its service area.

After trialing a number of vendor offerings, Buzz Broadband has selected and begun deployment of Airspan's AS.MAX Equipment for the provision of broadband data and VoIP services to its customer base. To ensure that admission control and priority number (Emergency) calls can be supported in accordance with service level agreements (SLAs) with its customers, Buzz Broadband will apply Airspan's VoiceMAX as part of the broadband access network working in parallel with the quality of service (QoS) requirements of the 802.16 WiMAX Forum standard.

Buzz Broadband has significant licensed spectrum holdings in the 3.4GHz band, which further ensures that its customer SLAs can be offered and met. Airspan's AS.MAX solution will be rolled out across a 30,000 square kilometer region of Queensland where Buzz Broadband holds 3.4GHz licenses, providing high-speed broadband and VoIP connectivity at distances exceeding thirty kilometers from the base station sites. Initial deployments will consist of MicroMAX Base Stations, Airspan's low-cost high-performance WiMAX Forum Certified base station, which will be linked to Airspan's WiMAX Forum CertifiedTM ProST and EasyST subscriber units. The EasyST is the world's first "self installable" WiMAX Forum Certified modem. The EasyST and ProST both incorporate Intel's ProWireless 5116 chip.

Airspan's solution is the first WiMAX Forum Certified solution to be used in permanent commercial service in Australia. It is also the first time a WiMAX Forum Certified technology offering commercial services has been operated anywhere in licensed 3.4GHz spectrum in Australia.

The Airspan WiMAX equipment deployed by Buzz Broadband can be configured by software to operate on WiMAX Forum™ channel profiles enabling broadband services to be delivered at speeds exceeding those of ADSL-like services.

Garth Freeman, Buzz Broadband's CEO, stated: "The Airspan WiMAX equipment being deployed by Buzz Broadband heralds in a new era for Broadband, VoIP and Data services in regional and Rural Australia."

Airspan is a founding member of the WiMAX Forum and is committed to utilizing its technology in a variety of unique applications in order to highlight the significant market that its WiMAX product line will be targeting.

Source: Airspan