4G Metro, the wireless network operator for Trinity Railway Express (TRE), has selected Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] and Colubris Networks to provide equipment for what is expected to be the first end-to-end broadband wireless service offered by a major U.S. public railway.
The TRE network deployment is scheduled to be the first under a new joint marketing and sales agreement between Nortel and Colubris Networks. The two companies have also made a mutual commitment to product interoperability testing.
TRE is a cooperative public railway linking Fort Worth, Dallas and DFW International Airport. Beginning in early summer 2007, TRE plans to provide approximately 5,000 daily passengers with high-speed wireless Internet access and a range of information and entertainment services. This will include breaking news and sports, local advertising and other video content presented on 27-inch LCD screens.
“We expect TRE to set a critical technology bar for other providers across the country,” said Don Lanham, chief marketing officer of 4G Metro, a privately owned wireless services company that will own and operate the network under a public/private partnership agreement with TRE.
“Our decision to select Nortel and Colubris was simple,” Lanham said. “Both have superior wireless broadband solutions proven in large-scale deployments. This is crucial to providing leading-edge wireless services for TRE passengers with optimal performance, reliability and security.”
4G Metro intends to use Nortel’s Municipal Wireless Solution – including wireless mesh, WiMAX and optical technologies – to deliver integrated voice, data and multimedia along the entire 36-mile TRE route. They will deploy Colubris Networks’ Intelligent WLAN Mobility System for passenger access to the Internet and other services on the train and in the stations. Colubris Wireless Client Bridges will provide seamless connectivity to Nortel Wireless Access Points at speeds up to 63 miles-per-hour. Colubris MultiService Access Points and MultiService Controllers will support Internet ‘hotspot’ service for passengers with scalable user access control and QoS services.
“TRE’s service will be a major step in the growth of broadband wireless in non-traditional venues,” said Angela Singhal, director, Municipal Wireless Solutions, Nortel. “We expect the flexibility and security of Colubris’ intelligent wireless LAN solution, combined with Nortel’s technology and global experience in designing, installing and launching hundreds of public and private wireless networks, to help TRE make affordable broadband wireless services available to its passengers.”
“With Nortel, we are offering transportation and other service providers an industry-leading municipal wireless broadband solution,” said Roger Sands, co-president and vice president, engineering, Colubris Networks. “We look forward to working together to provide cutting-edge companies like TRE with comprehensive wireless solutions that combine Colubris’ highly reliable and secure Wi-Fi solutions with the market breadth of Nortel’s Municipal Wireless Solution.”
About Colubris
Colubris Networks is the leading global provider of intelligent wireless networks (WLANs) for service providers and enterprises. Its optimized WLAN switching systems deliver unmatched bandwidth efficiency, seamless mobility and secure, easy access for more than 1,500 organizations and 40 million users worldwide. Its systems unify and integrate with existing network infrastructures, security and management systems and provide “future-proof” investment protection as standards evolve and user populations grow. Colubris’ numerous recognitions include Red Herring’s top 100 private companies in North America, Fierce Wireless Fierce 15 and Mobile Trax Mobility Award. For more information, visit Colubris on the Web at www.colubris.com.
About 4G Metro
4G Metro is a privately owned wireless services company. The company works with world class network systems providers to ensure seamless installation processes. Its services reflect the uniqueness of core technologies, including wireless communications, radio transmission, network hardware/software architecture, digital signal processing and audio/video distribution. 4G Metro is comprised of two divisions – metropolitan mesh networks and broadband access on public transportation. Visit 4G Metro on the Web at www.4gmetro.com.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel’s technologies are designed to help eliminate today’s barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.
