Folks,
For those who may have missed Cisco's recently announced plans in the fixed wireless arena. Could have implications for Q down the road:
Broadcom and Cisco Establish Joint Development Program to Deliver High-Speed Wireless Internet Services
Breakthrough VOFDM Technology Overcomes Many Existing Challenges Posed by Existing Proprietary Wireless Systems, Resulting in Higher Performance, Lower Costs
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 26, 1999-- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a leading provider of integrated circuits enabling broadband communications to and throughout the home and business, today announced a joint development program with Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) to develop a high performance Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for the broadband fixed wireless market that incorporates breakthrough radio frequency (RF) technology known as Vector Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (VOFDM). The custom digital chip development is part of a larger Broadcom and Cisco effort to establish an open broadband fixed wireless standard based on VOFDM.
Broadcom and Cisco engineers will work side by side to develop a full custom CMOS, single-chip wireless modem ASIC, containing both a Media Access Control (MAC) layer and an advanced wireless Physical Layer, that enables a robust, cost-effective broadband fixed wireless solution to be offered to multiple equipment vendors on the open market. The advanced VOFDM physical layer technology enables reliable communication in wireless links where line-of-sight connections are not practical. The modem is capable of providing users with data rates greater than 40 million bits per second (Mbps) in both the downstream and upstream directions.
VOFDM technology works well in congested city, suburban and rural environments by minimizing the line-of-sight limitations and installation problems faced by other proposed broadband fixed wireless technologies.
As part of their partnership, Broadcom and Cisco will work together to develop an open standards-based broadband fixed wireless solution for multi-tiered market deployments of large, scaleable wireless networks. The standard will enable ubiquitous point-to- multipoint wireless networks for enterprise or service provider deployments. These networks can be used to carry voice, data and video services to small-to-medium business, residential and small office, home office (SOHO) customers. Broadcom joins Cisco and nine other companies in an industry coalition that is supporting an open standard for the new technology that will deliver broadband fixed wireless Internet and voice services.
"Cisco is working with Broadcom on this project to draw on their expertise in Media Access Control technology and their industry- leading experience in broadband communication systems," said Paul Bosco, vice president and general manager for Cisco's Cable and Wireless Products and Solutions Group. "Broadcom has an excellent reputation for reliable project execution, low-cost chip manufacturing and time-to-market for complex system-on-a-chip devices."
"We consider this technology to be innovative and clearly capable of accelerating universal access to wireless broadband Internet services worldwide," said Dr. Henry Samueli, Broadcom's co-founder, chief technical officer and vice president of research and development. "In contrast to the other emerging solutions for mass market broadband fixed wireless access, VOFDM technology is extremely robust in the presence of interference and multi-path fading that occurs in real life wireless environments."
Samueli added: "Our goal is to create cost-effective customized silicon solutions for mass deployment of broadband consumer premises devices. We have analyzed all of the technology alternatives for broadband fixed wireless, and this advanced solution is the only one that enables reliable communication in obstructed wireless links where line-of-sight connections are not practical. In addition, the technology works very well in line-of-sight links with ground and vegetation clutter that often disables other solutions. VOFDM technology increases customer coverage, reduces installation cost and significantly improves service economics."
"Through this partnership, and in keeping with Broadcom's mission to provide the technology that enables delivery of broadband services to the home and business, we are strengthening our position in the wireless market," said Tim Lindenfelser, Broadcom's vice president of marketing. "This market will grow as consumers are offered new alternatives to existing broadband delivery methods. The recent merger announcement by MCI WorldCom and Sprint, and their mutual belief that wireless increasingly will be used for broadband Internet access and data services, provides additional validation of the promise of this market."
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