RuggedCom RuggedMAX Wireless Solution Big Enough For Texas
Ontario’s RuggedCom Inc., a designer and manufacturer of rugged communications networking solutions for mission-critical applications in harsh environments has been selected as the supplier for Texas A&M’s Educational Broadband Services (EBS) network on the College Station campus. Through a unique partnering approach Texas A&M has also aligned with the Bryan Independent School District (ISD), College Station ISD and Blinn College in making use of the EBS frequencies owned by each partner to build out a scalable and contiguous 2.5 GHz network using RuggedMAX™.
RuggedCom will supply RuggedMAX™ standards based, 802.16e WiMAX base stations and subscriber units to Texas A&M making broadband available for fixed, nomadic and fully mobile applications. The wireless network will be used initially to interconnect monitoring devices for the campus utilities department and physical plant locations while enabling campus-wide faculty, administrative and student network access. Texas A&M plans to add security systems such as IP video camera surveillance and building access control to the network. The system is capable of supporting full mobility for those applications that require it, opening up the number of potential applications and user types.
Partnering entities noted will have access to the network to provide broadband wireless services for their own utility, educational, public safety and faculty/student departments.
“We recognized a situation where the combining of our EBS spectrum assets between license holders simply made sense. With our combined, expanded 2.5 GHz footprint we are able to involve not only other educational entities, but possibly local utilities, city governments and even private enterprise networks in the use of this spectrum, more than satisfying the FCC’s requirements of EBS to provide substantial service via 2.5 GHz,” explained Walt Magnussen, Director of Telecommunications for Texas A&M.
Total network size is expected to continue to grow as other local partners in the EBS coverage area join the service. RuggedMAX™ is the world’s first utility grade mobile WiMAX platform designed for the harsh environment of the electric substation by complying to standards such as IEEE 1613 and IEC 61850-3.
“RuggedCom is honoured to be selected as the Broadband Wireless solution provider for Texas A&M’s EBS network,” said Joe Gould, VP Sales, North America. “We look forward to scaling this network with the customer as the business model expands.”
