Orange Cameroon Deploys RAD's AirMux Wireless Multiplexers to Deliver
Internet over Corporate PDH Network

September 1, 2004: Mobile operator Orange Cameroon has deployed point-to-point wireless multiplexers from RAD Data Communications to provide low-cost, high-quality Internet access at the residences of its directors in the country's capital, Yaounde, and the port city and commercial hub of Douala.

Orange Cameroon wanted to deliver high quality Internet service to its directors to enable them to work at home by connecting them to World Wide Web via its corporate PDH network, and save money at the same time.

While Internet access is available in major Cameroonian cities, it is generally plagued by poor quality phone lines and high prices. For that reason, Orange Cameroon opted for wireless links. "We considered several wireless solutions," said Christian Nkone, Transmission Manager at Orange Cameroon, "but we chose RAD's AirMux-104 because it provides a stable and reliable wireless connection. It is very easy to install, and is not susceptible to interference in a license-free environment."

Pairs of RAD's AirMux-104 wireless multiplexers were deployed in point-to-point connections, with one unit at each residence and another at a base station nearest the residence. To transmit the data to the PDH network, a RAD FCD-IP access unit with integrated router, located at the base station, serves as an E1-to-Ethernet interface converter. In addition, to connect between three residences and a single base station, three pairs of

AirMux-104 units were installed in a point-to-multipoint topology.

"The AirMux solution has been in place at Orange Cameroon for half a year, and the client is satisfied with the quality and stability of the links," noted Jean Gallo Jiotsa, Managing Director at Adsnet, the RAD distributor that provided the solution. "We have not received any service calls concerning the installations."

RAD's AirMux family of wireless multiplexers for license-free environments includes the AirMux-104, which operates at 5.725–5.850 GHz, and the AirMux-106, which operates on Band B (5.47 to 5.725 GHz). The AirMux family also includes the AirMux-108, a solution for low-density environments that operates at a frequency of 3.5 GHz, which is generally a regulated frequency. The AirMux-108 provides high Quality of Service (QoS) levels for applications such as base station (BTS-to-BSC) connectivity and Last Mile services.