Aviat Networks, a provider of wireless transmission
solutions, announced that it helped WNM Communications (WNMC) provide its rural
New Mexico customers with additional redundancy for lifeline services and
further capacity for Internet access and phone service.
WNMC provides telecom services to more than 6,000
business and residential customers across 15,000 square miles in southwestern
New Mexico.
Upgrading WNMC’s existing infrastructure and expanding
the capacity of its backbone posed challenges. First, the changes could not
disrupt current customers’ services. Second, WNMC’s network of buried cable,
fiber optic trunks and microwave crisscrossed thousands of square miles of
rugged and sparsely populated territory. Finally, WNMC was on a tight timeline,
as it sought to complete the network upgrade before the company’s fiscal
year-end.
“We needed a solutions provider that would sit down
with us and co-develop the best network design. We also needed them to meet our
traditional telecommunications requirements, as well as support our Ethernet
migration plans, including expanding Internet access to new customers in remote
areas, and enabling VoIP capabilities. They had to deliver quickly and provide
ongoing tech support. The Aviat Networks team met all of our requirements and
more,” said Steve George, director of Operations, WNM Communications.
To address all the complexities of the project, Aviat
Networks proposed a phased approach to upgrading WNMC’s backbone network. The
first phase included the installation of Aviat Networks’ Eclipse microwave
platform with indoor IRU600 RF unit to expand the capacity of the backbone and
support advanced Ethernet functionality.
A key benefit of the IRU600 radio is that it supports
WNMC’s legacy DS1/DS3 network as well as Ethernet on the same
telecommunications link. That means WNMC can continue to leverage its existing
network while transitioning to IP backhaul at a pace that makes sense.
In the second phase, Aviat Networks conducted site
surveys to ensure the network design was optimal. Next, spurs were expanded off
the network backbone to provide enhanced service to WNMC customers in
underserved and remote areas. Accomplishing this required the installation of
more than a dozen microwave hops, each of which provided mixed mode (TDM and
Ethernet) capability. To ensure WNMC’s network experienced no disruptions,
Aviat Networks engineers were onsite during each of the site cutovers.
The network was also designed to accommodate future
growth. For instance, when additional Ethernet capacity is required, WNMC can
allocate bandwidth directly from their operations offices using Aviat Networks’
ProVision remote provisioning software.
“Helping WNM Communications upgrade its broadband
network was a true partnership,” said Travis Mitchell, carrier sales
manager, Aviat Networks.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
