Telecom Lead America: Alcatel-Lucent will enable West
Central Wireless to launch new 4G LTE service.
West Central Wireless will open up its core network under
a new network hosting agreement to offer other regional operators the
opportunity to deliver broadband services in underserved rural communities.
West Central Wireless will launch its own 4G LTE service
in late 2012 providing subscribers with faster speeds and higher quality
connections to the Internet via laptops in combination with LTE dongles and
home broadband networks.
Access via 4G LTE smartphones and tablet devices will be
available later.
Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireless Packet Core system will enable
the high-speeds and bandwidth needed to deliver 4G LTE services.
Opening up part of packet core network will allow West
Central Wireless to enable other regional operators to accelerate new services
as the agreement eliminates the need for investment in packet core networks of
their own.
“We are pleased to be able to leverage
Alcatel-Lucent’s expertise to deliver new services that meet the mobile
broadband needs of our customers, while offering a significant opportunity for
other service providers who don’t have the capital to invest in a full core
network, to do the same,” said Mike Higgins, Jr., CEO of Central Texas
Telephone Cooperative.
“As a provider of mobile broadband networks,
Alcatel-Lucent is ideally suited to help West Central Wireless evolve its
network to 4G LTE and to expand the availability of mobile broadband to
customers throughout rural Texas. This agreement further demonstrates
Alcatel-Lucent’s ability to provide flexible solutions that meet operators’
unique business needs and help them creatively expand their businesses,”
said Robert Vrij, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas Region and head of
Global Strategic Alliances.
