Dear Colleague,

Welcome to another issue of RAD at a Glance, the newsletter from RAD Data Communications about developments in the communications industry.

ACCESS TRENDS

Access in the Middle of Nowhere
by Udi Furman,
General Manager, RAD Australia

The tyranny of distance is a traditional impediment to integrating communications between remote industrial sites and the main information processing center. In contrast to metropolitan sprawls, sparsely settled rural regions or more remote uninhabited zones might not have any communications infrastructure at all.
In today's technologically driven and information-based society, the ability to transmit and receive information immediately and efficiently is vital. The challenge is to be able to transmit voice, data and fax communications and relay information. When no communications infrastructure is in place, rural telcos and carriers seeking to expand coverage in such districts are limited to several possible alternatives:

Satellite-Based Networks
The first option is to implement a satellite-based network between the nearest central office and the remote sites, which works by receiving and transmitting radio signals from one earth station to another. Typically, this alternative is expensive and suffers from bandwidth constraints. Nevertheless, in many remote industrial sites it may be the only possible option. To reduce bandwidth and lower communications costs, the user should consider deploying a voice trunking gateway, such as RAD's Vmux-2100. This device compresses voice by up to 16:1 and also supports Ethernet and data.

Leased Lines
A second option, although only suitable for enterprises rather than residential customers, is to lease a 2 Mbps leased line from the carrier, assuming it is available. The cost of leased lines can also be quite expensive, with prices depending on the distance of the connection. More often than not, however, this option does not exist in remote locations, particularly in areas where the vast majority of the inhabitants are clustered in a few densely populated centers and the hinterland is left undeveloped.

Microwave or Radio Networks
The third option is to use microwave or radio networks. The ability to transmit from point to point over high frequency radio means that signals can successfully be beamed over uneven terrain or difficult obstructions such as roads or underground sewer systems. Wireless technology also affords carriers an opportunity to roll out services to isolated communities without having to worry about a lack of cable or fiber infrastructure. It is also a cost-effective option in cases where leasing lines becomes too expensive. But not every remote site generates a significant enough demand for telecommunications services that would justify an investment in broadband microwave. Should the applications require ring, drop-and-insert or daisy chain topologies, RAD has a series of data and voice multiplexers tailored to address these needs.

Wireless over a Free Unlicensed Frequency
The final alternative is to operate a wireless system over a free unlicensed frequency band. Licensed bands have the advantage of guaranteeing a slice of spectrum dedicated to the wireless system, thus reducing the possibility of interference from other networks. The downside, however, is the licensing fees and regulatory procedures, which can often be time-consuming and dramatically escalate costs.

On the other hand, the challenge with using an unlicensed frequency is that any wireless system that operates within the band has to comply with restrictions on power output, spectral density and accept any potential interference with other devices that may operate over the same frequencies.

The answer to reducing licensing costs and combating these restrictions is to operate a wireless multiplexer over the unlicensed frequency. These carrier-class multiplexers are high capacity devices that connect E1 or T1 and Ethernet networks point-to-point over wireless links. Deploying a wireless multiplexer over a license-free wireless band equates to approximately half the price of a conventional wireless solution.

Fast and Steady Speeds over Long Distances
RAD Data Communications' wireless multiplexer, the Airmux-200, can integrate up to four unframed E1/T1 ports and up to two Ethernet ports. It also has a total air data rate of 48 Mbps, with a theoretical maximum transmission distance of up to 80 kilometers. This means that it can effortlessly transmit data at fast and steady speeds and over long distances. The Airmux-200 also features accurate E1/T1 clock recovery and low round-trip delay, which are two of the most critical components in communications systems as they improve the quality of service of data transmission.

A wireless multiplexer can combine TDM and Ethernet networks for transmission over 5.X GHz, 4.9 GHz, 2.3 and 2.4 GHz licensed-exempt bands. Essentially, the higher the center frequency of the band, the wider the band itself, meaning that it can accommodate more devices.

Encryption and Other Security Mechanisms
Any security concerns about possible network interference are allayed as a wireless multiplexer incorporates safeguards such as encrypting all data transmission. An integrated 10/100BaseT Ethernet bridge transparently forwards frames and learns up to 2,000 MAC addresses. In addition, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and dynamic encryption key change prevent unauthorized eavesdropping. These mechanisms, together with a coded time stamp (CCM), prevent false transmission from an intruding terminal. The network management system and the equipment are also protected by a password and a challenge/response scheme.

A wireless multiplexer aggregates all communications infrastructure such as voice, data and fax, can be implemented quickly and is a cost-effective, complete solution for remote localities. By utilizing this technology, isolated customers in such locations are assured of reliable and efficient communications - an ideal answer for rural telcos and carriers seeking to expand coverage in the middle of nowhere.

GENERAL NEWS

Service Provider Poll Supports RAD's Ethernet Demarcation Strategy

RAD Data Communications sees its Ethernet demarcation point strategy confirmed in the results of a recent industry poll posted on the online telecommunications news site Light Reading. Full story

RAD Participates in Multi-Vendor Interoperability Demonstration of Inter-Carrier MPLS Services at MPLS World Congress 2007
RAD Data Communications participated in a test event that demonstrated multi-vendor interoperability for advanced MPLS-based services in a resilient and scalable scenario in which IP, Ethernet, ATM and TDM services are being transported across an inter-carrier backbone. Organized by the European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), the event was held at the MPLS World Congress 2007 in Paris. Full story

SUCCESS STORIES

RAD and MRO-TEK Set the Standard with 350,000 Miles of Network Connectivity in India

RAD Data Communications, together with MRO-TEK Limited, its India partner, mark a historic milestone at the end of December when the 350,000th mile supported by RAD products was added to India's telecommunications network. Full story

NEW PRODUCT

Gmux-2000, version 2.1VMX

RAD Data Communications has released its Gmux-2000 central office voice trunking gateway. The Gmux-2000 has been engineered to reach a price point that is typically up to 30 percent less than that of the closest competitor, but without excluding any feature required by a carrier-class central office platform. Maintaining toll quality voice, the Gmux-2000 voice trunking gateway can compress an entire STM-1 or up to 112 E1 lines onto as few as seven E1s, which translates to an impressive compression rate of 16:1. The Gmux-2000 is unique is that it can also transmit compressed voice over Gigabit Ethernet networks, providing quick payback by eliminating costly leased lines. More details on Gmux-2000. More details on Gmux-2000.

Megaplex-210x, version 11.2

Version 11.2 of the Megaplex-210x family of modular integrated access multiplexers includes a V5.2 "exchange" gateway mode and an "end point" mode update, allowing the user to allocate as many users as possible on the user side and connect them to a class 5 switch over one or two physical E1 ports. Other features offered by version 11.2 are an enhanced Ethernet four-port module; an IEEE C37.94 fiber optic data module especially developed for the utilities market that allows fiber optic connectivity to teleprotection edge units; a new feature on the ML-IP TDMoIP-compatible main link module that performs bundle redundancy without allocating the entire TDMoIP payload twice; new high-speed data channel modules that provide more ports per chassis and reduce price per port; a new four-port analog FXS/FXO/E&M voice channel module; and support for three or six OCU-DP (Office Channel Unit-Data Port) channels, providing a direct connection to products with a built-in CSU/DSU for utilization of DDS networks. More details on Megaplex-210x.

WHAT'S NEW ON-LINE

New Brochure for the Cellular Market

RAD has released a new brochure for the cellular market entitled Optimized Mobile Transport Solutions: Cost-Effective Backhaul for 2G to 3G Migration and Beyond. Feel free to download your copy.

Sincerely,
Reuven Eliaz
Editor, RAD Data Communications