Airspan 3.65 GHz Band FCC Certification Redefines U.S. WiMAX Arena

By Guest Blogger Dori Erann, Senior Director of Marketing Communications, Airspan

Due to recent Airspan developments, wireless operators are now able to take advantage of the full 50 MHz (lower and upper) 3.65 GHz frequency band. Until now, the lightly licensed frequency band made only the lower 25 MHz available for WiMAX operation. But earlier this week, Airspan, a WCAI member, announced that it has received the first-ever certification for a WiMAX system to operate in the upper 25 MHz (3675-3700 MHz).

Airspan has been a dominant player in the 3.65 GHz band in the U.S., with a majority market share as well as the first WiMAX system to be certified by the FCC for both portions of the band.

Implementing the FCC’s contention protocol, the Airspan HiperMAX system is now certified for use in the full 3.65 GHz. Existing Airspan customers can take advantage of this certification and can immediately apply for use of the upper 25 MHz. New operators will be able to apply for the full spectrum in their FCC registrations.

The certification applies to both fixed 802.16d as well as 802.16e applications.

There have been many speculations by industry players as to whether the upper ‘unrestricted’ band would be made available by the FCC. Operators nationwide have expressed strong interest and support for this move in order to allow added capacity and range, enabled by the additional spectrum.

Airspan clearly has a market advantage with this surprise certification. And, with double the amount of spectrum, Airspan 3.65 GHz customers will benefit greatly with the ability to integrate more cost effective business models, while better serving their customer base.

The timing of this new Airspan certification is ideal, allowing Broadband Stimulus applicants to incorporate new deployment and business models into their network plans, better meeting agency requirements by extending coverage with double the capacity and/or double the range.

For more information on Airspan’s equipment, please visit http://www.airspan.com/ or contact Declan Byrne, Chief Marketing Officer for Airspan at dbyrne@Airspan.com.

WCAI Congratulates Airspan on Industry-First FCC Certification for Upper 25MHz of 3.65GHz

WCAI member Airspan Networks announced today that the FCC certified its WiMAX equipment to operate over the full 50 MHz of the 3.65 GHz lightly licensed band in the United States. The certification for the first time allows U.S. 3.65 GHz operators to use the upper "unrestricted" 25 MHz of this lightly licensed frequency band.

The announcement is a major first step on the way to unleashing the potential of the 3.65 GHz band in the United States. This industry-first certification unlocks 25 MHz of valuable spectrum and opens the door to hundreds of licensees who stand ready to bring advanced wireless broadband services to rural America.

Led by some of the major players in the band, WCAI recently launched an effort to harmonize the 3.65 GHz frequencies by addressing its remaining regulatory and technical challenges. Airspan is an active member of the WCAI’s 3.65 GHz Working Group, which is also supported by major manufacturers and licensees in the 3.65 GHz band. We look forward to working with the FCC and the industry to unleash the value in the band to the benefit of operators, equipment vendors and the public.