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Wireless Broadband Networks
How
to Select Wireless Broadband Products and Vendor?
In
an emerging market, several innovative vendors introduce hot new
technologies and soon after get acquired by larger vendors or disappear
because of a number of business reasons. It is, therefore, very important to
select the right product and vendor. We are suggesting the following
criteria:
- Product
functionality - both point to point and multipoint
- Product
features for immediate and long term needs- available now versus
future
- Product's
sustained throughput (speed) under normal and abnormal (weather) conditions
- Product's
distance limitations and degradation in performance based on distance
- Modulation
technology used and inherent strengths of that technology
- Bandwidth
management - is it dynamic?
- Efficiency
of multi-mode support i.e. voice, video and wireless data
- Product's
scalability and upgradeability
- Network
management capability and compatibility with in-house network management
systems
- Type
of antennae required and its coverage implication
- Frequency
Band and licensing requirements in the band - bandwidth within the band
- Product
cost - one time acquisition and ongoing maintenance
- Customer
and carrier references
- Availability
of network infrastructure on outright acquisition basis as well as on an
outsourced basis
- Vendor's
staying power in the market - will it be around next year?
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