Infiniti Broadband is getting ready to launch its fixed wireless broadband service and it has signed on Huawei to help get its network off the ground.
With Huawei supplying the radios, network power capabilities, routers, switches and customer premises equipment (CPE), Infiniti will build a TDD-LTE network to serve an initial 10 rural U.S. markets.
"Huawei understands the unique needs of the tier-three telecoms market and we have been growing our partnerships in the rural telecom space, which is frequently overlooked. We are dedicated to providing the infrastructure to help Infiniti Broadband achieve its goal of providing LTE network access to rural residents," Bill Gerski, vice president of wireline sales for Huawei, said in a statement.
Infiniti Broadband President and CEO Johnie Johnson told FierceWirelessTech that the markets will mostly be rural but will include at least one "NFL type" large market, a city Johnson says currently has an NFL team, just "not a very good one." Johnson is hoping Infiniti will serve double that amount of markets by the end of 2016. Infiniti is not yet announcing rate plans and pricing details for its service.
"There are several communities that are lacking high-speed broadband services," Johnson said, adding that there are others that have poor quality service, high prices, poor customer service, or all of the above. "We see these voids as opportunities to go in, execute, and be successful."
Infiniti won't be leasing capacity for its network. Instead it will deploy on 50 MHz of nationwide 3.65 GHz spectrum the company acquired in a private transaction. Johnson said Infiniti is currently negotiating co-location deals in order to place its network equipment on existing structures. But in spots where there are no structures or no room on existing structures, Johnson said Infiniti may partner with tower companies to build its own towers.
In addition to its fixed wireless broadband service, Infiniti will be offering core hosting for small and medium telecoms and will serve as a distributor for telecom product and devices. Core hosting and the device infrastructure offering will launch shortly after Infiniti's service offering gets off the ground.
For more:
- read this Huawei press release
- see this Telecompetitor article
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