The Carlson Wireless Blog

Carlson Blog Has Moved!

2011-11-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

With many thanks to Google Blogger for hosting our blog over the last year, we are now pleased to announce that the Carlson Wireless Blog is moving to our own website.

All the previous posts have migrated over there, and we invite you to come over yourself and check it out.

We update our blog regularly with fun photos of customer installations, industry news, exciting announcements, technological developments and more.

Crowds Gather to Watch White Space Demo

2011-10-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Our crowded booth

The recent Wispapalooza show certainly lived up to its name. With more than 700 wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) in attendance, it seemed that our booth with Telcordia was constantly at the center of a crowd, all gathered around to watch our TV white-space demo, "Dynamic Spectrum in Action."

The demo showed our RuralConnect IP interacting seamlessly with Telcordia's spectrum database to ensure interference-free operation using TV white-space frequencies.

Curious about how this works? Have a look at the video that explains it.

Carlson White Space Sales Specialist Kiely Cronin talks to a potential customer at our booth.

"WiMax Promised, White Space Delivers"
That's the name of the presentation CEO Jim Carlson made at the technology session, "White Space: The Next WiMax?" Our new software partner Neul joined us there, and the product we're developing together was exciting news for the audience, who had so many questions that the session ran an hour overtime.

That's Jim Carlson at the microphone and Neul's Luke D'Arcy at the podium.

The audience had plenty of questions to ask.

Jim Carlson listens carefully as service providers in the audience describe their needs.

Wispapalooza was a resounding success in our book, and our colleagues at Telcordia and Neul agree. As we work to develop this breakthrough technology, we know that WISPs are the best partners we can have in fulfilling our common mission: Cost-effective broadband: Serving the Underserved.

Carlson and Neul Announce Global Partnership to Produce White Space Radios for Broadband

2011-10-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Carlson CEO James Carlson shakes hands with Luke D'Arcy, Neul's VP of Marketing,
at wireless Internet service provider event, Wispapalooza

Arcata, Calif. & Cambridge, England--Carlson and Neul today announce plans to jointly develop and market a new white space radio networking system aimed at bringing affordable broadband to millions around the world. This marks the beginning of a significant, global partnership between two established leaders in white space technologies.

The Neul/Carlson system will give broadband users access to more than 200MHz of high quality white space radio spectrum. Volume shipments of the new system are planned before the end of 2011, with samples and development equipment available before then.

Carlson and Neul are committed to working closely with wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) and others to bring affordable broadband connectivity to under-served regions around the globe.

This groundbreaking technology uses ‘white spaces’, or unused portions, of UHF spectrum for broadband. Thanks to its outstanding propagation characteristics, UHF signal can travel through walls and other obstacles: Line of sight is not needed to the subscriber’s home. As a result WISPs using the new system can deliver faster, more reliable service to more customers with the same network infrastructure, driving additional revenue.

“Broadband is a global necessity in today’s world, and we see this partnership as a leap forward for rural broadband worldwide,” said Carlson CEO James Carlson. “White space technology is especially effective in sparsely populated areas and rugged terrain, giving rural communities real-time access to the business opportunities and educational resources the Internet has to offer.”

“Millions of people around the world do not currently have access to decent broadband at affordable prices,” commented Luke D’Arcy, VP of Marketing at Neul. “The technology Neul and Carlson are developing together gives Internet service providers the means to serve more customers with a quality broadband service, particularly in rural locations, through white space’s long range, low cost and excellent propagation characteristics.”

Carlson and Neul are combining their strengths to deliver a high-bandwidth product that offers unrivalled range and signal penetration. This revolutionary product is designed for use in the US, UK and beyond. With approval from both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Ofcom (the UK’s spectrum regulatory entity), the companies plan to introduce the product to the open market by year’s end. White space technology is also applicable to a variety of other use cases, including in low-data-rate, even longer-range machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

Both Carlson and Neul have been at the forefront of the white space radio revolution internationally, with active trials in the US and the UK. Carlson was one of the first to implement successful TV white space-based broadband systems under experimental license, most notably on Native American reservations.

About Carlson

For more than a decade, Carlson has designed and developed products to deliver high-speed Internet and wireline-quality voice connectivity to rural communities and businesses with remote operations. Specializing in hard-to-reach regions, Carlson provides fixed-wireless systems using TV white-space and microwave technology to deliver full voice and data connections no matter how rugged the terrain. More than 20 million customers in nearly 200 communities rely on Carlson radios for their broadband needs, from the Arctic Circle to the jungles of Peru. Carlson serves customers in the telecommunications, public safety and energy industries.

For more information go to www.CarlsonWireless.com or email info@carlsonwireless.com.

About Neul

Neul is a Cambridge, UK company founded by a group of entrepreneurs with an impressive track record. The core management team built Europe's most successful fabless semiconductor company, CSR. Neul is unifying the fragmented world of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, with the world’s first white space radio system and a new, open M2M communications standard.

Neul is transforming wireless data communications by slashing the cost of the spectrum, base stations and the terminals needed to set up wide area wireless networks. This will enable our customers to build networks and applications that offer completely new kinds of devices, services and business models.

For further information go to www.neul.com

Editorial contacts:

Kim Miyade (Carlson)
(+1) 310-287-2222
theadco@pacbell.net

Alex Perryman (Neul)
(+44) 208 408 8000
neul@emlwildfire.com

Hot New Product!

2011-09-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

We just got the news that our new lightning-fast LongHaul ST 700 was named Hot Product for 2011 by the editors of Public Safety Communications, a publication of APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International).

At the APCO conference in Houston in August, an anonymous team of judges wandered the aisles of the exhibitor booths, talking to vendors and asking questions. Of the 72 entries submitted, they selected 25 products for editors to tell readers about in the upcoming issue of Public Safety Communications. Carlson is very pleased that the LongHaul ST-700 was among those selected.

The "ST-700" is a high-speed Ethernet bridge that offers public safety entities an affordable way to deploy 700 MHz networks. Operating in the licensed 700 MHz frequency band, the ST-700 combines the non-line-of-sight capability of sub-GHz communications with the security and privacy of a licensed frequency band.

The 700 MHz frequency is capable of strong connections even in true non-line-of-sight situations, enabling agencies of all sizes, whether metro, rural, or even mobile communications units to access mission-critical information even when trees, buildings or hills are in the way.

Excellent for traffic-monitoring applications, this radio is capable of transmitting high-quality video and complex pieces of information at extremely fast speeds, as well as making it possible for multiple client stations to access the base unit at the same time with little delay.

The LongHaul ST's unique combination of high throughput and low latency was proven in a recent competition, the Animal Farm “Backhaul Bakeoff” in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carlson is very please to offer this product now in 700 MHz.

Big Steps Forward for Super Wi-FI

2011-09-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

With TV band databases and equipment together on the FCC testing bench at last, Super Wi-Fi technology has take a big step forward.

Reporter Stacey Higginbotham from GigaOm in Austin interviewed Carlson CEO Jim Carlson at the Super Wi-Fi demo with database provider, Telcordia, last week at the Super Wi-Fi Summit in Austin.

Jim Carlson was happy to talk about the vast possibilities that TV white space technology has for rural broadband and to roll out Carlson's new improved RuralConnect IP Version II-- which operates at four times the speed of Version I.

Check out the video:

Super Wi-Fi Takes the Spotlight

2011-09-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Carlson CEO Jim Carlson at the Super Wi-Fi Demo

This week, the Austin Convention Center will be filled to the brim with the latest computer technology, and Carlson CEO Jim Carlson will be at the heart of it all, demonstrating the inner workings of Super Wi-Fi technology.

The live demo will take place Sept. 13-15 at the Super Wi-Fi Summit, a technology event located within the ITExpo, a 12-year old biannual exposition that also includes the 4GWE wireless conference.

Located in the Demo Pavilion, Carlson's demonstration will show how software-defined TV white-space radios like Carlson's RuralConnect IP interact with the databases that map available channels around the country, preventing interference and allowing broadband users to share the VHF/UHF spectrum with TV stations.

Telcordia, one of the 10 database providers the FCC provisionally designated to manage TV white space, will be there with Carlson to demonstrate this smooth and seamless operation.

RuralConnect IP determines its GPS location, requests available channels from the database, and uses the list the database returns to establish a wireless broadband network where none was available before -- in rural regions that have not enjoyed broadband because of environmental barriers like foliage and rough terrain.

In addition to the demo, Jim Carlson will also provide an update on the real-life trials Carlson is participating in for this experimental technology at the "Trials Rollout Report" Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

Carlson will also talk about the possibilities that TV white-space technology has for rural backhaul at "White Spaces Backhaul: What Is the Opportunity?" Tuesday at 11 a.m.

If you're attending ITEXPO or the 4G Wireless Evolution Conference, we invite you to stop by the demo or attend one of the sessions. Carlson looks forward to answering your questions.

Carlson Focuses on Public Safety Solutions

2011-08-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

We're back from APCO 2011 in the beautiful historic city of Philadelphia, where we delivered our message to the public safety industry: Carlson has an array of new products specially designed to make their jobs easier---and more exciting new products in development.

Trailblazer 5.9 for Traffic Applications

First of all, we're pleased to introduce Trailblazer 5.9, one of the very first radios on the market certified to operate in licensed 5.9 GHz frequency band for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and departments of transportation.

Trailblazer is already a favorite in the public safety industry because of its ultra-low fixed latency and rugged reliability. These qualities, combined with the extraordinary weather-resistance and interference-resistance of the 5.9 GHz frequency band, make Trailblazer 5.9 an excellent solution for backhauling two-way radio communications, dedicated short-range communications, and more.

RuralConnect IP for Rough Terrain

Our second featured product is the RuralConnect IP, our TV white-space radio for rough or forested terrain. This product is available only under experimental license until the FCC finishes training and approving the frequency-database administrators.

Meanwhile, you may have read about the Yurok Tribe, tucked into the redwood forest between the Klamath River and the Pacific Ocean, finding a multitude of public safety uses for this product, as reported in APCO's Public Safety Communications magazine.

We've taken every opportunity to refine and further develop this product through our experimental applications, adding features like power over Ethernet (POE) and form factors like the new tower mount.

LongHaul ST for Traffic Monitoring

We also featured our lightning-fast LongHaul ST at APCO because of this product's success in urban traffic monitoring. Cities like Fort Worth, Texas find the ST especially effective for "daisy-chain" configurations, in which the signal must be repeated many times from the traffic cameras to the traffic management center.

Coming Soon: Carlson's Affordable LTE Solution for Rural Public Safety

One of our most exciting announcements at APCO 2011 was that we're hard at work developing the affordable solution that public safety in rural, isolated areas are waiting for -- using LTE architecture for licensed 700 MHz.

We're developing a true do-it-yourself, own-it-yourself LTE product for rural communities. Stay tuned for more information as this exciting new product moves closer to launch.

Carlson sales engineer, Kiely Cronin, at the Carlson booth at APCO 2011

Introducing Trailblazer 5.9: Great News for Traffic Systems

2011-08-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) just got easier, thanks to Carlson's newest product, Trailblazer 5.9. Our tried-and-true Trailblazer, the quiet superstar of the Carlson portfolio, is now configurable to operate in the 5.9 GHz range.

The 5.9 GHz band offers a full 70 megahertz of spectrum, set aside by the FCC just for ITS. This band is a boon for public safety and departments of transportation because it can support the high data rates that traffic applications demand. It also provides the reliability these applications require because of its extraordinary resistance to interference.

Trailblazer 5.9 is a point-to-point solution that is ideal for backhauling two-way radio communications or Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) projects.

Like all members of the Traillazer family, Trailblazer 5.9 offers the plug-and-play setup of a fully integrated device. It is solar powerable and comes in a sturdy weatherproof enclosure for roadside deployment.

Getting Your 5.9 License
The FCC divides the 5.9 GHz band into seven 10-megahertz channels and issues non-exclusive licenses to government and public safety entities to operate on the band. Applicants can file electronically with the FCC using FCC Form 601.

Licensees have only to register their sites, channels and other relevant data on a Universal Licensing System, coordinating with the Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for proximity to government radar sites.

Call Carlson at (707) 822-7000, and let one of our helpful sales engineers tell you more about Trailblazer 5.9.

For more information about Intelligent Transportation Systems, visit the U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovation Technology Administration (RITA) and read the white paper: "Achieving the Vision: From VII to IntelliDrive."

Applications
Signage
Intersection collision avoidance
Approaching emergency vehicle warning
Highway-rail intersection warning
Vehicle safety inspections
Transit or emergency vehicle signal priority
Electronic parking payments
Commercial vehicle clearance and safety inspections
In-vehicle signing
Rollover warning
Probe data collection
Leased line replacement
Two-way radio backhaul
POTS line wireless transport
Ethernet transport

Advancing Technology: Carlson Reports about TV White-Space Trials

2011-06-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Carlson Wireless is pleased to help advance a groundbreaking new technology like TV white space.

We've been actively involved ever since the FCC first began deliberating about how to make vacant TV channels available for unlicensed public use.

In our quest for rural connectivity solutions, we recognized instantly the potential this technology has for rural broadband, especially as a solution that doesn't require line-of-sight.

Natural obstacles like trees and hills don't stop TV signal, making it the ideal signal for broadband in a rural environment. And, with range many times that of Wi-Fi, this technology can be deployed in sparsely populated areas with a minimum of infrastructure.

Jim Carlson tells WInn Forum attendees about the Carlson experimental trials

CEO Jim Carlson is back from Washington, D.C. where he attended the Wireless Innovation Forum's White Space Communications Summit last week.

This was a gathering of industry stakeholders, including FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, database providers like Spectrum Bridge and technology companies like Carlson Wireless, working to move this promising technology forward.

Carlson was there to report the progress of our current experimental networks, including the Yurok project in Northern California.

He also talked about several other trial networks we're developing in the most rugged parts of the United States, including Alaska, Michigan, New England, Oklahoma and Central Florida. These regions were chosen because of the great challenges the communities there face in trying to achieve broadband connectivity.

Testing our product in such challenging conditions allows us the opportunity to achieve our goal: developing the best product on the market.

Find out more about the Carlson TV white-space product, RuralConnect IP, by visiting our website.

About the Wireless Innovation Forum

The Wireless Innovation Forum, formerly SDR Forum, is "an international industry association dedicated to driving technology innovation in commercial, civil and defense communications around the world." Its two-fold mission is "connecting technical, business and regulatory leaders" and "defining the future of radio communications."

Carlson appreciates the work of WInn Forum and plans to participate in another TV white-space event the organization is planning in Washington, D.C. for later this year, a workshop called "The Future of White Space Communications" at its SDR '11- WInnComm event.

TV White-Space: Big News for Rural Public Safety

2011-06-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yurok Tribe, located at the mouth of the Klamath River in Northern California, has enhanced public safety thanks to TV white-space technology

It's all over the news: Our first experimental TV white-space project has fired up its first link, a development that's having an immediate and positive effect on the rural community involved.

Yurok Connect, the broadband project at the Yurok Tribe's reservation, last week deployed a dedicated public safety link thanks to TV white-space technology. This dedicated line allows public safety agencies to access criminal databases, conduct live trainings and implement emergency services plans.

Seven More Trials in the Works
The project at the Yurok Reservation, located in rural Northern California, is one of eight white-space trials for which the FCC has granted Carlson Wireless experimental licenses.

The other trials, which are still early stages of planning and set-up, are located in rural regions of Alaska, Michigan, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Central Florida and Oklahoma.

Each community in these trials has been struggling for years to get broadband access because of heavy foliage, rugged terrain and scattered populations-- environmental challenges that make the deployment of other solutions (fiber, copper or microwave) unfeasible.

CEO Jim Carlson is in Washington D.C this week, reporting about the progress of these projects to the stakeholders at the Wireless Innovation Forum's White Space Summit.

How Trial Projects Move the Technology Forward

These trials show the kind of real-world solution that TV white spac e offers for rural communities. Trials also allow Carlson Wireless to advance white-space technology by discovering which aspects of our product can be developed further.

Our engineers appreciate this opportunity to interact with local problem-solvers in the communities where the trials are located.

Local service providers and public safety agencies are deeply familiar with the challenges their communities face when it comes to broadband deployment. Along with this knowledge, they bring their ingenuity into the mix by proposing innovative ways to use TV white-space technology, for example, blending it with other technologies like picocell extensions.

About the Product

RuralConnect IP is available now under experimental license, offering a robust, economically viable solution for broadband when line of sight is not available.

The product, which complies with existing FCC rules, is on the FCC bench now for testing with the database systems that will manage TV white-space spectrum.

If you are interested in deploying an experimental project in your community, please contact Carlson Wireless at 707-822-7000.

Rural Broadband Spotlight: Community-Driven Innovation in Vergennes, Michigan

2011-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ryan Peel, owner of Vergennes Broadband LLC, poses in front of a company banner.

Access to high-speed Internet is fast becoming as necessary to economic development as electricity or a telephone line. While the Internet is still considered by many to be a luxury or entertainment item, some are starting to realize that access to the Internet at broadband speeds is a vital tool for engagement in the modern American economy and culture.

Ryan Peel, owner of Vergennes Broadband LLC in Vergennes, Michigan, agrees. He has lived in this scenic rural town his entire life, and is continually frustrated by the lack of broadband access.

“It has been at least 11 years since cable Internet and DSL were first offered in the area, and still at least 50 percent of Vergennes Township is unable to acquire affordable high-speed service,” he said.

In 2009, the township of Vergennes partnered with nearby Lowell and Ada to conduct a survey designed to measure the extent of this broadband void. Of 26,000 residents, less than three percent had access to high-speed Internet.

Although the vast majority of the residents of Vergennes could be counted as potential customers, none of the nearby commercial service providers were willing to invest in the infrastructure required to bring broadband to the area.

Instead of giving up, Peel decided it was time to get creative.

Tried-and-True Meets Cutting Edge

The scenic town of Vergennes, Michigan.

Peel’s solution is an innovative blending of three technologies to form a community-driven network that offers the area’s greatest possibility for far-reaching broadband service at prices that residents can afford.

The first component is WiMAX in the 3.65 GHz band. PureWave radios will provide the primary network coverage, but here Peel found another road block—there are areas in Vergennes where WiMAX simply will not work.

“There are a significant number of people in the area that WiMAX cannot reach because of the terrain and tree cover, as is the nature of rural

America

,” Peel said. “That’s where the TV white-space device that Carlson offers comes into play.”

A TV band device, or TVBD, is the second component in the network plan. TV white-space technology is cutting-edge, and Carlson’s RuralConnect IP was the only U.S. VHF/UHF broadband radio Peel could find that supports the geolocation database required by the FCC.

“At this point Carlson seems to be way ahead,” said Peel. “This seemed to be the tree-busting technology that I had to get my hands on in order to really solve the problem. It wasn’t acceptable to me to have to say no to people that have beautiful lots filled with trees, but still couldn’t be reached by a traditional 900 MHz signal. I am really optimistic that Carlson’s TV white space radios can fill that gap.”

While these two technologies, when married together, promised a robust broadband network, Peel still wasn’t satisfied. Dropped cellphone calls are a very common problem in rural areas, and many residents of Vergennes were frustrated by these dropped calls nearly as much as they were by the lack of broadband Internet service. Peel decided to add supplemental value to his project and improve cellphone coverage in the area at the same time.

Small cellular base stations called femtocells make up the third and final component of the Vergennes network. Customers need simply plug the device into their new broadband Internet connection to boost their cell connection and drastically reduce the number of dropped calls they experience.

Rallying Support through Social Media

Like many small business and organizations in rural areas, Peel has had to stretch a small marketing budget as far as it will go. With only $395 earmarked for advertising, he has relied on social media tools such as Facebook to spread the word. As of today, the Vergennes Broadband Facebook page has 124 followers.

Peel has also created a pre-registration website for interested Vergennes residents. Through this site, he has collected more than 200 pre-registered potential customers.

“These are real names; these are real addresses,” he said. “I have them plotted on map and that’s a big impact statement right there.”

Potential subscribers are pre-qualified by comparing the customer’s address to a coverage map of the planned network. If it looks like a match, an on-site survey will be conducted to ensure that customers aren’t sold a system that won’t work.

The proposed plans are also very affordable, ranging from $39.99 per month for a 1 Mb connection to $59.99 per month for 2 Mb with a one-year contract, plus installation. Comparatively, some residents have been forced to pay hundreds of dollars per month for expensive T1 lines in order to work from home.

Grassroots Organizing

Peel’s blending of tried-and-true WiMAX and cutting-edge TV white-space technology is innovative, but it is his grassroots, community-focused approach to getting this project off the ground that is a truly inspiring example of the spirit of cooperation and fellowship that exists in rural

America

He not only leads the project, but personally organizes and works side-by-side with volunteers. He also intends to donate a portion of future subscriber revenues to a local foundation that providers opportunities to students in technology and innovation-focused fields.

Residents of Vergennes are also joining the fight for affordable broadband access.

“I actually have qualified people who have volunteered to do customer on-site installations,” Peel said. “It is an important part of the funding [for the project] that is somewhat hidden. It is a gift to the community. They are not receiving any compensation; they are just people that want to be involved. This demonstrated a lot of civic pride.”

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about Vergennes Broadband, visit their website or their Facebook page. Stay tuned for more blog posts from Carlson about rural broadband and TV white space.

Showcasing "Super SCADA" at ENTELEC

2011-05-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready for another exciting adventure. CEO Jim Carlson and SCADA specialist Mike Tuel will be heading to Houston, Texas next week for ENTELEC 2011.

Jim and Mike are looking forward to talking to potential customers in the energy industries about how our radios can enhance their business communications and process control.

We'll be showcasing our powerful, dynamic software-defined VHF/UHF radios that offer the potential for what we've begun to call "Super SCADA," that is telemetry and supervisory control far beyond a simple remote on/off switch.

With throughput measured in Mb/s instead of kb/s, our TV white-space radio, RuralConnect IP, provides detailed data, real-time information and video capability.

If you're going to ENTELEC, be sure to stop by Booth #444 so we can give you a hands-on demonstration and answer all your questions in person.

The ENTELEC Conference and Expo will be held May 24-26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. ENTELEC is an organization that focuses on communications and control technologies for petroleum, natural gas, pipeline and electric utility companies.

RuralConnect IP Takes 2nd Place in Best Wireless Equipment for Utilities

2011-05-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

RuralConnect IP is not even commercially available yet and it's already getting recognition in yet another market: utility companies.

Our TV white-space product took second place in Best Wireless Equipment category last week at UTC Telecom 2011.

Judges recognized the incredible potential RuralConnect IP has for utilities, especially rural electric co-ops. This is because TV white space is VHF/UHF spectrum with the power to penetrate obstacles and spread far and wide--no matter how difficult the terrain.

"Got rough terrain? We've got the solution"-- our message at UTC

CEO and engineer Jim Carlson understands the challenges that rural utilities face, with smart-grid upgrades and the need to protect remote investments. Jim addressed these concerns in his UTC 2011 presentation "TV White Space: A Smart Choice for Rural Smart Grids."

Rural utilities need the additional spectrum and non-line-of-sight performance that the newly available TV white space can provide. They need security, reliability and resistance to interference--all at a reasonable cost.

A TV white-space network can deliver real-time broadband connectivity to remote substations and switchgear. It can allow system operators to manage the electric system remotely, request critical data from substations, manage power flow and protect the system.

Using TV white space for wireless connectivity allows utility companies to improve service, lower operating costs and increase revenues. To find out more about RuralConnect IP, please visit our website.

Jim Carlson, center, sits on a panel about Emerging Technologies, answering questions about deploying TV white-space technology for intelligent utility infrastructure.

Sales engineer Jerry Moore at out UTC 2011 booth, having an in-depth discussion with a potential customer about his project and needs.

Join Us at UTC Telecom 2011!

2011-05-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

Rugged terrain like this is just where TV white-space technology outperforms the rest, Great news for rural electric co-ops like Plumas-Sierra in Northern California where our database partner Spectrum Bridge deployed a TV white-space experimental network, with excellent results.

CEO Jim Carlson and sales engineer Jerry Moore are on the road to UTC Telecom 2011 in Long Beach, California! We are very excited for Carlson products to be represented at the UTC Expo.

Carlson will also be part of the Emerging Technologies Symposium, where Jim will be sharing his expertise about TV white space and how utilities can benefit from this newly-available spectrum, especially for smart grid applications.

We are also thrilled to announce that our TV white-space broadband radio, RuralConnect IP, is being considered for a 2011 Product Award.

If you’re attending UTC this year, come visit Jim and Jerry at booth #753 at the Expo, and be sure to check out Jim’s presentation, “TV White Spaces – Are There Opportunities for Utilities?” at 4:30 on Wednesday, May 11.

Can’t make it to UTC this year? Visit our website to learn more about the RuralConnect IP and how TV white-space technology is revolutionizing wireless broadband and telecommunications.

TV White Space Demo a Success

2011-03-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Jim Carlson prepares for his presentation about the new RuralConnect™ IP, TV white-space radio.

We’re back from the FISPA/WISPA Service Provider Summit in Orlando, Florida, and we’re extremely excited to have had the chance to share our new TV white-space radio, the RuralConnect™ IP, with a very interested group of WISPs.

Nearly 100 service providers gathered Friday, March 25 as CEO Jim Carlson offered a live demonstration of the new TV white-space product for broadband.

“It was standing room only at the demo as we put the RuralConnect™ IP through its paces,” Carlson said. “This was a fantastic opportunity for us to show WISPs what TV white-space technology can do for rural broadband.”

TV white-space technology is revolutionary because, unlike traditional microwave or Wi-Fi, it does not require line-of-sight to function. This is good news for WISPs, who are now able to bring broadband to rural areas without building large towers or extensive infrastructure.

The demonstration also proved that even in an urban setting like Orlando, which has a population of nearly 2 million, there were available TV channels.

Screenshot of available TV channels in the vicinity of the demo, from Spectrum Bridge's Show My White Space application

Friday’s demonstration proves that the RuralConnect™ IP puts Carlson at the head of the pack when it comes to TV-band devices. As soon as the FCC finalizes the rules for geolocation database providers, we’re poised to debut RuralConnect™ IP as the first-to-market TV white-space radio.

FISPA, or the Federation of Internet Solution Providers of the Americas, was created to help member ISPs meet the challenges of operating in today’s ever-changing marketplace. WISPA, or the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, was created to help WISPs in particular to network and find technology. The FISPA/WISPA Service Provider Summit was the first joint conference between the two organizations.

Stay tuned for more details about Jim’s demonstration, including a video!

Live TV White-Space Demo at FISPA/WISPA Summit

2011-03-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

Carlson Wireless is gearing up for the live demonstration of RuralConnect IP, our new TV white-space radio, in Orlando, Fla. next week.

CEO Jim Carlson will be heading to the FISPA/WISPA Service Provider Summit next week to show wireless Internet service providers what this breakthrough product can do for rural broadband. The live demo will take place at 1:10 p.m. on Friday, March 25.

RuralConnect IP uses VHF/UHF signal, which propagates better than Wi-Fi for greater range and non-line-of-sight performance. This is good news for those rural residents who haven't been able to get broadband to their homes and businesses before.

This path study graphic shows area coverage of ordinary Wi-Fi compared to
"Super Wi-Fi," broadband over TV white-space

At the demo, Jim Carlson will offer a presentation about the technology and is looking forward to answering any questions attendees may have. Also in attendance will be Spectrum Bridge, one of the nine companies the FCC has appointed to manage the new national spectrum database. Moderating the demo is Jack Unger, chairman of WISPA's FCC Committee.

The FISPA/WISPA Summit will be held Wednesday, March 23 through Friday, March 25 at the Sheraton Orlando North in Orlando. This is the first joint conference of the two trade associations for Internet service providers, Wireless Internet Service Provider Association (WISPA) and the Federation of Internet Solution Providers of the Americas (FISPA).

The FISPA/WISPA Summit also includes workshops, vendors and networking opportunities and features three informational tracks: regulatory, technical and business. The regulatory track also includes a presentation, "TV White Spaces: Next Steps," scheduled for Thursday, March 24 at 11:10 a.m.

More Info about TV White Space

To learn more about TV white-space technology, please download our white paper, "Super Wi-Fi: Using TV White Spaces for Rural Broadband."

To learn more about RuralConnect IP, visit the Carlson Wireless website or call 707-822-7000 and speak to one of our helpful sales engineers.

Ask Us About TV White Space: IWCE 2011

2011-03-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Carlson sales engineer, Jerry Moore (right), talks about RuralConnect IP
to interested IWCE attendees

We're back from the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, invigorated by all the networking we did with customers and colleagues there.

A show like IWCE offers invaluable opportunities to work directly with customers, to share their excitement about upcoming applications and to find out more about their needs in order to guide the future development of our products.

At IWCE this year, the Carlson Wireless crew was pleased to showcase the new LongHaul ST, our lightning-fast Ethernet bridge, and also to talk about our exciting soon-to-be-released product, RuralConnect IP, which uses TV white-space frequencies for broadband.

We all wore nametags that suggested visitors "Ask Us About TV White Space," and hundreds of interested people stopped by our booth to do just that.

Carlson sales engineer, Kiely Cronin (far right), answers questions about what TV white space technology can do for rural broadband

TV white-space technology, which uses vacant TV channels in the VHF/UHF range fro broadband, has the potential to overcome, at last, the line-of-sight constraints that prevent microwave equipment from being usable in rugged terrain.

Rugged terrain and rural communities are our specialties, so we're as excited as our customers are about what TV white space will mean for rural broadband.

Carlson marketing director, Karol Andersson, at the Carlson Wireless booth

This is the technology that Popular Mechanics listed as #2 of "The Top 10 Tech Concepts You Need to Know About," and The Economist calls "Bigger and Better Than Wi-Fi."

If you'd like to learn more about RuralConnect IP or about TV white-space technology for broadband, please visit our website. Or give us a call at 707-822-7000, so one of our experienced sales engineers can discuss your project with you.

Jim Carlson to Present at WCAI Webinar on TV White Spaces

2011-02-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Later this week, Carlson Wireless CEO Jim Carlson will be presenting a webinar with Stephen Coran of Rini Coran, PC.

“This webinar will provide an overview of the FCC’s technical and operating rules, a summary of the database and equipment certification processes and an explanation of how first-generation fixed base station and CPE devices will be designed and deployed,” says the WCAI’s website for the event. The webinar will take place on Thursday, February 17 at 4pm EST.

TV white spaces, the vacant broadcast TV frequencies recently freed up for public use by the FCC, amount to a significant new opportunity for rural areas without broadband access. The new geo-location database that will be used to manage the devices operating in these frequencies is one step closer to becoming a reality. As of January 26, the FCC has announced its selection of the nine database administrators.

As the path to device certification has not yet been defined, the rules that currently exist surrounding the use of the TV white space can be difficult to understand. This webinar aims to explain the FCC’s technical and operating rules, as well as provide a summary of the equipment certification process as it stands at this time. The design and deployment of first-generation fixed base station and CPE devices will also be discussed.

This webinar will provide an overview of the FCC's technical and operating rules, a summary of the database and equipment certification processes and an explanation of how first-generation fixed base station and CPE devices will be designed and deployed. Jim will be concentrating on the technical aspects of the devices, and Stephen will cover the details of the FCC’s certification process and regulations.

The WCAI, or Wireless Communications Association International, is a trade association whose members come from the entire wireless broadband industry. WCAI was founded in 1988 and represents service providers, equipment manufacturers, application developers and other contributors to the industry.

As the leader of the company responsible for one of the very first TV white space devices, Jim Carlson is a natural choice to help lead a webinar explaining the technology. The broadband industry is recognizing his expertise, and Jim has recently been called upon to present at a wide variety of conferences and trade shows across the country—including the Redwood Broadband Forum, the Cal WISPA meeting, Animal Farm, and the Super Wi-Fi Summit. In March, he will be participating as a panelist in a rural broadband discussion at IWCE.

To learn more about the webinar or to register, visit the WCAI website. The webinar is free for government employees, the press and WCAI members, and $59 for non-members.

LongHaul ST Helps Manage Traffic at the SuperBowl

2011-02-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Snow and black ice, combined with arrival of thousands of visitors, posed challenges for the City of Fort Worth in the week leading up to the Super Bowl (Photo by Becky Cowart)

The LongHaul ST has proven instrumental in managing weather-related traffic conditions at the Super Bowl.

Last weekend’s Super Bowl brought more than 100,000 people to the Dallas Cowboys Stadium—as well as unusually cold weather for Texas. The massive influx of people combined with the extremely low temperatures, high winds, and snow made for a public safety operations nightmare.

Cameras installed in downtown Fort Worth, normally used to monitor traffic, were crucial in helping the staff of the Traffic Management Center (TMC) manage the dangerous, weather-related traffic conditions.

One of these high-definition cameras is backed by a LongHaul ST, which transmits the image data from the camera to the TMC, housed within Fort Worth’s new Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC is made up of emergency response personnel and public safety officers.

CBS mentioned in a recent article that the EOC has been holding bad weather exercises and training drills for the last month. The traffic cameras and other equipment, including the ST, have been carefully positioned to “keep traffic following in key areas in a weather episode like the one the area is currently experiencing,” said a CBS spokesperson.

“The ST has worked flawlessly especially under these unusual Texas weather conditions,” said Jake Smith of Cactus Computer, the company that installed the equipment purchased by the City of Fort Worth.

Read more success stories about LongHaul ST, Carlson Wireless' new lightning-fast Ethernet bridge: Backhaul Bake-Off.

TV White Space: Yurok Tribe to Be First to Benefit from New Device Offered by Carlson Wireless

2011-01-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

This aerial photograph of Tribal lands, taken by Carlson Wireless CEO Jim Carlson on a recent tour of the area, shows locations that traditional Wi-Fi or microwave signals would not be able to penetrate.

Along the scenic Klamath River in Northern California, the Yurok Tribe is preparing for a new technology that will bring broadband connectivity to homes and businesses that previously may not have even had a working telephone.

The Yurok Reservation stretches 44 miles along the Klamath-Trinity river in Del Norte and Humboldt counties. Internet access on the Reservation has been extremely limited thanks to its rugged terrain and remote location. Mountains and deep river valleys mean that traditional microwave solutions, which require line-of-sight from one end of the link to the other, are not an option.

Now, however, the FCC’s recent decision to allow TV white-space bands to be used for rural connectivity created another option for unconnected residents of the Reservation. Paul Romero, director of the Yurok Tribe’s Information and Technology Department, thinks this is a great opportunity for the Tribe.

“We believe this new form of broadband will increase Internet coverage above and beyond existing wireless technology and greatly benefit Reservation residents,” he said in a recent interview. “The Yurok Tribe’s IT Department is eagerly waiting to test drive our new Carlson Wireless ‘white space’ Internet technology.”

The rugged, forested terrain of the Yurok Reservation make traditional microwave links impossible and conventional Wi-Fi coverage unfeasible.

The Tribe will be the first to benefit from the connectivity offered by Carlson’s RuralConnect IP, a TV white-space band device capable of extending broadband service much further than traditional Wi-Fi signals. The device’s low frequency gives it the ability to transmit even to locations within deep valleys or blocked by trees—a critical requirement of any solution utilized on the Yurok Reservation.

Experimental License Granted

Although the RuralConnect IP cannot be sold commercially until the FCC has finalized the process of certifying the TV white-space devices and the database providers that will track them, the Yurok Tribe received yesterday an experimental license allowing them to move forward with the installation of their system. It’s a first for a Carlson customer, and a valuable opportunity to demonstrate what TV white-space technology can do for rural areas like the Yurok Reservation.

This tower, erected on a mountain peak within the Yurok Reservation, is one of only three new towers necessary for the new TV white-space system being installed.

Another advantage to the RuralConnect IP is that far fewer towers are required than traditional microwave links. Since the signal can penetrate valleys and trees, environmentally or culturally sensitive lands can be left undisturbed, while still falling within the device’s coverage area. In many cases, existing towers can be used, and no new structures need be built at all.

For the Yurok Tribe, this was especially important: the Tribe is under a mandate not to cut down any trees, or even build towers above them except for in a single location (pictured above). Fortunately, the wide-area coverage provided by the RuralConnect IP means that only three new towers will need to be constructed to cover the 40-mile long reservation, when added to three existing towers. The unspoiled viewscape, required for the Yurok Tribe’s sacred dances, will remain untouched.

FCC Names Database Providers

The process of FCC certification has been a long one, but an important milestone was reached yesterday when the FCC released an order granting conditional certification to nine database providers. Spectrum Bridge, Inc., a crucial partner in the process of designing and developing the RuralConnect IP, is one of these.

Over the coming months, these nine entities must refine their proposals and prove that their technology will meet the requirements of the TV white-space geolocation database as outlined by the government. In March, they will convene for a workshop and demonstration hosted by the FCC. Following the workshop, applicants who have continued to meet the conditional certification requirements will have 45 days to “test-drive” their database technology before being officially sanctioned to certify real-world TV white-space devices.

First-to-Market with the RuralConnect IP

The RuralConnect IP is poised to be the first-to-market TV white-space device. “We believe we’ll have a six months or greater lead in the marketplace,” said Carlson Wireless CEO Jim Carlson in a recent interview with Urgent Communications magazine.

Carlson will be eagerly following the progress of the Yurok Tribe’s installation of the RuralConnect IP. Carlson Wireless has been working with tribal communities since 1986, with a goal of delivering cost-effective voice and data solutions. With the RuralConnect IP ready for FCC certification, and the Yurok Tribe installation given the official go-ahead, achieving this goal has never looked more promising.

Carlson Wireless at Animal Farm 2011

2011-01-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

Carlson Wireless at Animal Farm 2011

Carlson Wireless CEO Jim Carlson and Sales Engineer Kiely Cronin recently attended Animal Farm, a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, to talk about TV white-space technology and to pit the new LongHaul ST against competitors in an event called the Backhaul Bake-Off.

Carlson Wireless Technologies (CWT) was honored to be asked to speak about TV white-space technology on the keynote stage of this event, which is targeted toward radio users looking for high-level technical training and knowledge sharing. Most of those in attendance were wireless Internet service providers (WISPs).

“The Animal Farm event coordinators describe the show as ‘user-driven, not vendor-driven,’” said Cronin. “So we were excited to speak to such a large audience whose interest in our product and technology had brought us there.

"The extent of the interest was made clear during Jim’s keynote presentation when he asked the audience if they thought they’d be using TV white space in the next year, and almost every hand in the room was raised,” Cronin added.

CWT’s RuralConnect™ IP will be the first TV white space product on the market, pending the finalization of FCC regulations.

Backhaul Bakeoff

In addition, our new LongHaul ST competed against products by Motorola, Ubiquiti, and others in the Backhaul Bakeoff, a series of throughput and latency tests performed with packets ranging in size from 64 to 1470 bytes.

“When it came to high throughput matched by low latency, the LongHaul ST stood unrivaled,” says Cronin. “The ST proved itself to be ‘best in class.’”

“We are really excited about the Backhaul Bakeoff results,” says Carlson. “The ST’s latency was only 20 milliseconds—the lowest latency against all contenders—and the throughput was 115 mb/s in both directions.”

The ST’s super-low latency and high throughput make it an ideal piece of equipment for WISPs and many public safety agencies.

In addition to these features, the ST supports Level 3 routing capabilities, making it possible for users to fine-tune bandwidth allocation and network priorities from right within the included graphic user interface (GUI).

“Carlson Wireless is well-known for innovation, which is always directly inspired by the needs of our customers—so this was a great opportunity for us to gain further insight into the needs of the WISP community,” Cronin said.