Ruckus Wireless Launches High-Speed Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi System

Ruckus Wireless has introduced the strand-mounted 802.11n Smart Wi-Fi access point, the ZoneFlex 7761-CM, designed specifically to help cable operators rapidly deploy and monetise broadband wireless services into new and existing markets.

Rushing to meet explosive subscriber demand for seamless broadband access driven by millions of new Wi-Fi-enabled handheld devices flooding the market, multisystem cable operators (MSOs) are looking to exploit leading edge technology, taking advantage of customer, network, and service assets in place to offer selective Wi-Fi coverage.

"Using the existing cable strand infrastructure to deliver reliable Wi-Fi access makes perfect sense and is a major focus for almost every cable operator in the United States," said Selina Lo, President and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. "What's changed over the last two years is the arrival of 802.11n, the debut of DOCSIS 3.0 and the introduction of smart antenna array technology. Combining these innovations gives cable companies the power to capitalize and more quickly exploit the mobile Internet phenomenon."

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Lo noted that the cost structure of using smarter Wi-Fi is dramatically lower than the cost per bit of providing broadband access using wide area approaches such as WiMAX, licensed spectrum or 3G services.

"While MSOs will invest in different solutions, including licensed spectrum, backhaul and emerging technologies such as femto and picocells, Wi-Fi represents one of the best compliments and most cost effective strategies to augment existing network assets. Up to now, Wi-Fi's reliability within the unlicensed band has kept cable operators away from the technology. Our breakthroughs in automatic RF signal control have helped solve these problems and have propelled Ruckus into a leadership position within the service provider market."