Internet access is available in the major Cameroonian cities of Douala and Yaounde, but it is plagued by poor quality phone lines and high prices. Orange Cameroon wanted to save money on Internet access for the residences of its directors located in various residential areas in these cities, and at the same time deliver high quality Internet service for working at home by connecting them to the Internet via Orange Cameroon's corporate PDH network.
Due to the high cost and scarcity of wireline infrastructure in the country, Orange Cameroon opted for wireless links. Pairs of RAD's AirMux-104™ wireless multiplexers were deployed in point-to-point connections, with one unit at the residence and the other 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, served 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.
“We considered several wireless solutions,” says 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.”