Expert View

Ujjwal Dey

BANGALORE -- BroVis Wireless Networks was founded in early 2003 with the vision to provide broadband for the masses globally using cost-effective, standards-based wireless technology. To fulfill its mission, BroVis Wireless Networks has developed a technology that substantially enhances the capabilities of current 802.11, to enable mass adoption of complete wireless solutions for outdoor last-mile access, MAN deployments, campus wireless distribution, specialised indoor wireless networks, indoor-outdoor integration in challenging and rough terrains where Line of Sight is not available.

Convergence plus spoke to Giridharan Vidi, vice president, marketing and business development, BroVis Wireless Networks, regarding the company’s next-gen broadband wireless access systems and solutions for outdoor and specialised indoor applications using standards based technology.

Convergence Plus: Please tell us about your next-generation broadband wireless access systems and solutions for outdoor and specialised indoor applications using standards based technology?

Giridharan Vidi: BroVis (Broadband Vision) wireless networks is a next generation broadband wireless infrastructure (BWI) systems company targeting service providers and enterprises globally. We have developed and launched our outdoor NLOS product suite based on standards based 802.11 technology - Broadcell solution with unique differentiators like NLOS location/range adaptation, outdoor QoS for voice, advanced subscriber management, price/performance and key infrastructure management capabilities. Broadcell includes our AS-1000 base station, AC-100 subscriber, CPE units and AS-500 extended range access points (XAPs).

We recently announced Radio-Zone solution using our dual radio architecture to provide cost-effective light mesh type implementations. Radio-Zone complements our current offerings of AS-1000, AC-100 and AS-500 equipment. With our technology, infrastructure management and price/performance advantages, we are making a push to capture urban as well as rural markets.

So far, we have targeted key emerging regions such as the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia and have had tremendous sales success. We have acquired over 50 customers in just about three quarters and signed up over 10 distributors in these key regions.

We are planning on introducing Wi-Fi/WiMAX (802.11/802.16) combo products to capture key markets by early 2006. Our operational model has proven to be a success; we do almost all our development in India while leveraging our key partnerships and architectural strengths in the US. We have achieved great capital efficiencies and have developed patentable IP like BroVis extended outdoor range technology (TrueEXOR) for high capacity, power management and CAPEX savings without violating standards, advanced simulator tool to simulate any terrain (Bro-SIM), wireless infrastructure operating system (WIOS) to provide multiple offerings quickly) and total infrastructure management (TIM).

Technology achievement can be done using many means. But we consider something a real achievement when users replace existing equipment with ours. It is happening after experiencing the elegance of our products and its solutions. Deployment and maintenance are the major challenges for Wi-Fi providers and our true out door product with plug-play easy deployment features helped them with ease of maintenance and cost effectiveness. The Indian Government de-licensed the usage of 5GHz in contiguous campus and we could bring out Radio-Zone solution that would help to have 5GHz for backhaul connectivity (without which one has to invest in fiber) and 2.4GHz for wireless distribution.

CP: What are the challenges in managing the non line of sight (NLOS) terrains and harsh industrial settings and how BroVis overcome them? And is the technology used is cost-effective from both CAPEX and OPEX standpoint?

GV: NLOS challenges have been overcome with the combination of TrueEXOR technology and with our integrated infrastructure management platform WIOS, which were developed by our R&D. Our TrueEXOR significantly boosts the reach and provides rate adaptation and location adaptation, power back off capabilities and adaptation to various terrains.

All our products support NLOS feature and customers need not pay additional price for NLOS feature, which means CAPEX is not increased in any way. Because of TrueEXOR, we get extended coverage of radio signal that will reduce number of units required and again reduction in the CAPEX. Our products are true outdoor products, conditioned for harsh weather; there are no additional external units such as booster, power unit and long cables connecting the antenna to the radio. Hence it is almost maintenance free, which reduces the OPEX extensively. This is one of the main reasons why our products are so popular among the Wi-Fi service providers.

CP: Tell us about your unique EXOR Point-to-Multipoint wireless technology and WIOS platform?

GV: Our compelling Radio technology with a robust link design and software platform provides cost-effective wireless broadband access and distribution with low deployment costs. The extended outdoor range (EXOR) solution provides unique point-to-multipoint and true NLOS capabilities with plug and play features, flexibility in terms of rate adaptation and location adaptation, power back off capabilities and a modular architecture to accommodate various radio frequency bands (licensed or unlicensed) and backhaul interfaces. Combined with our integrated infrastructure management platform, WIOS, we cater to the demands of service providers, hotspots providers and enterprise campus network providers.

Our point-to-multipoint solution involves using AS-1000 base station at the center and AC-100s at the customer end. It is illustrated in the diagram attached. It works in five km radius in NLOS environment too. If the distance is more we can provide AC-100 with external antenna.

CP: BroVis being the first to deliver broadband in the fast growing Indian subcontinent market using multimode, concurrent band 802.11 standards based (Wi-Fi) architecture. What future and opportunity do you see for yourself over in the Indian subcontinent regarding the penetration of the broadband market?

GV: Our Radio-Zone solution with concurrent band architecture is getting overwhelming response from our current systems integrator partners because of the fact that there are plenty of places they can use this. For example, say we need to provide wireless distribution system to a resort, which spreads across two km. If we place the radio units surrounding the border of the premises to give the coverage, we need to run the backhaul cable around the campus and that would cost a lot and also would lead to constant maintenance work. Using the concurrent band, we can have 5GHz for the backhaul and 2.4GHz for local bandwidth distribution wirelessly.

This illustrates that the opportunity is enormous in the hospitality segment, educational institute segment, enterprise campus segment and last mile Internet services segment. We have partnered with systems integrators and service providers who provide service to the entire above-mentioned segments. In addition, we are also concentrating in broadband for rural area; where there are profuse requirements for wireless solution and Government's rural projects declaration indicate them.

CP: What initiatives BroVis is taking to provide a cost-effective light-mesh type product/solution to penetrate certain key application segments?

GV: Radio-Zone is a natural extension of BroVis' single system solution. It enables customers to implement lightweight mesh applications in a highly secure, cable-free and relatively interference-free manner with no compromises in performance. In addition, Radio-Zone deployment can be implemented in a more rapid manner compared to traditional mesh deployments.

This has caught up well with our partners who are already putting them on trial. We have excellent applications that are being tried by our partners. Once the success is felt it will be spreading rapidly as a cost-effective solution.

CP: What are the key components of the outdoor application suite and how you deploy and manage 802. 11 standards based wireless access and distribution networks, 802. 16 based WMAN networks and convergence networks?

GV: We offer entire outdoor wireless solution for Point-to-point, Point-to-Multipoint, and wireless distribution systems. Our products can operate in station mode, access point, repeater and bridge mode, which allow providing rapid customisation. The key components in the case of base stations, which help connecting to backhaul, are the only two, and they are radio unit and external antennae (all types). Having the simplified two units is the major advantage of this true outdoor product. Since it comes with Power over Ethernet (PoE) and all-type weatherproofing, the radio unit is really plug-and-play.

Our CPEs come with integrated antenna and hence it is further simplified. Our software component is very elegant and it is easy to configure. It has default setup that makes it easy to install first and go through the setup just to adjust to your channel and other requirements. To manage these products, we provide telnet based CLI, browser based UI and SNMP. The wireless link management is the key issue in the wireless network. We made it easy by keeping the link configuration details at the base and all the CPEs will get from the base station.

We are working towards providing 802.16 Gateway products that will help converging the existing local 802.11 traffic with 802.16 traffic to carry to backhaul. The 802.11 and 802.16 are going to co-exist for few more years and the Gateway will be providing a solution that will be beneficial to all the ISPs.

CP: How does an indoor application suite allows for seamless integration with outdoor wireless products providing an end-to-end wireless network?

GV: Our indoor units are provided with TrueEXOR firmware. They also operate in 802.11 standard mode and have extended coverage. In the bridge mode it can connect to the outdoor unit for backhaul as well as it can distribute the bandwidth wirelessly. This helps to provide a 100 percent wireless connection in a given premise. For example, if an enterprise requires Internet connectivity and Wireless LAN (WLAN), the ISP can wirelessly get the backhaul connectivity from their premise to the enterprise. After bringing it to the enterprise, we can provide WLAN service using the indoor unit that connects to the backhaul unit. This is explained in the diagram.

CP: Tell us about your Last mile Wireless Broadband Access?

GV: Last mile Internet access is maintenance intensive for service providers have today. If they have to provide last mile service using wires, then deployment becomes chaotic and will be a continuous maintenance nightmare. With wireless, both problems are solved. Our solution comes with creating small cells where end users will be getting wireless broadband services and each cell be wirelessly connected to the backhaul.

Contact:
BroVis
www.brovis.com