WiMax provider Imagine has struck a deal with Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) firm E-net to drive high-speed wireless broadband throughout Ireland’s regions, the companies said today.
Imagine has taken MAN-based capacity in a number of towns to drive the rollout of their next-generation broadband services.
Already, the MANs are supporting WiMax services in Cavan Town, Clonmel, Longford Town, Monaghan Town, Mullingar and Tralee with Imagine likely to add to this list in the coming months as MAN-based bandwidth is seen as essential for their national WiMax deployment.
“We have recently completed Phase 1 of our WiMax network deployment and are offering next-generation voice and superfast broadband services to over 30,000 business and residential customers across Ireland,” Brian O’Donohoe, commercial director of Imagine, explained.
“Piggybacking on the MAN infrastructure helps us to offer high-speed broadband services to homes in parts of the country which were black spots before the arrival of WiMax.”
The need for an extended fibre network
WiMax/TD LTE is a 4G technology enabling the delivery of ‘last mile’ wireless broadband as an alternative to cable and DSL.
“Their use of the MANs demonstrates the criticality of this infrastructure in driving platform competition and the development of next-generation broadband,” Henry explained.
“It also further highlights the fact that the more access technologies there are, and the more traffic they are carrying, the greater the need for an extended fibre network,” Henry added.
