BelAir CEM Enables Mesh Network For Cellular Backhaul
Toward that end, BelAir last week introduced its Circuit Emulation Module (CEM), which connects to the BelAir 200, a multi-radio outdoor wireless mesh box that forms the basis of the vendor's mesh infrastructure. The CEM includes ports for connecting up to four cellular base stations into a mesh network, said Stephen Rayment, CTO and co-founder of BelAir, Kanata, Ontario.
"Using the mesh network to handle backhaul is a much cheaper option than the dedicated wired T1 and E1 lines that carriers usually use," he said. "This is our first major step into the cellular business."
BelAir channel partners are testing the solution in conjunction with a tier-one carrier in the United States, but a BelAir spokesperson declined to name the carrier or the partners. However, T-Mobile's venture capital arm made a $2 million investment in BelAir in early 2004.
The solution is especially cost-effective in cities, where high user density means that carriers have to deploy more cells, each of which requires its own T1/E1 line for backhaul. BelAir's solution leverages mesh technology to handle the task and reduce the number of T1s needed for backhaul, Rayment said. Pricing for the CEM was not disclosed.
The savings afforded by mesh infrastructure should appeal to wireless carriers grappling with the rising costs of backhaul, which reached $22 billion worldwide in 2005, according to the Yankee Group.
BelAir's wireless mesh solution includes two radios for multiple dedicated backhaul links, which is the key to providing the quality of service that carriers need, said Rick Lindahl, president of Invictus Networks, a wireless solution provider in Lake Oswego, Ore.
The CEM will allow cellular companies that need to get T1/E1 lines from the egress location to the tower location to avoid the time and expense of involving the phone company, said Richard Van Derworp, chief technical officer at NAS Wireless, Dublin, Calif. "This is very helpful in areas where the cellular company wants to install a tower on a hill and there is no cable to the location," he said.