AFC Solution to Be Commercially Available through Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, Tarana
Federated Wireless, the leader in shared spectrum and private wireless solutions, announced Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of its Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) system in the 6 GHz band.
Federated Wireless has announced commercial agreements with Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, MediaTek, and Airspan/Mimosa, the leading enterprise WLAN access point manufacturers collectively responsible for more than 50% of the worldwide enterprise outdoor access point market.
Read More: Top Enterprise Data Storage Trends of 2024
These commercial agreements accelerate standard power and outdoor access point operations in the 6 GHz band, and swiftly enable access to the band for Wi-Fi and fixed wireless providers like Tarana.
“We’ve been working with regulators around the world and our industry partners for the last five years to build the policies and ecosystem to support the use of the 6 GHz band,” explained Federated Wireless CEO Iyad Tarazi. “The increased amounts of power that we’re able to make available for Wi-Fi, Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs), and OEMs serving the Fixed Wireless Access WISP market opens a new universe of potential use-cases and revenue streams for equipment makers and service providers.”
Federated Wireless’s AFC is a turnkey solution that simplifies the path to robust Wi-Fi 6E Standard Power operation. Devices can transmit at 63 times the power indoors, with outdoor capabilities supercharged by the new spectrum availability in the 6 GHz band.
“In today’s interconnected world, people and things rely on Wi-Fi more than any other wireless technology. Reliable connectivity, regardless of use case, is the foundation for the delivery of applications and resources. As an industry leader, it’s our responsibility to strengthen that foundation,” said Yogesh Paliwal, Director of Product Management at Cisco. “Cisco has led initiatives across wireless standards bodies, industry forums, and regulatory authorities to define standards for automated frequency coordination. We have collaborated with Federated Wireless to provide AFC service to our customers in the US. With the availability of AFC, Cisco customers can now unlock the 6GHz band for outdoor use and improve performance indoors for certain use cases.”
“The operational flexibility of 6 GHz is immensely important to HPE Aruba Networking because of the critical need for additional Wi-Fi spectrum for our customers across nearly every enterprise vertical, as well as government agencies and military services,” said Stuart Strickland, HPE Fellow and Wireless CTO at HPE Aruba Networking. “Together with Federated Wireless, HPE Aruba Networking has been at the forefront of advocating for the opening of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed devices here in the U.S. and all over the world.”
Enhanced access to the 6 GHz spectrum band also enables WISPs, and OEMs serving WISPs, to deliver higher power levels and speeds to their customers.
Specifically, fixed wireless access technology providers like Federated Wireless’ partner Tarana can now expand its network equipment options for service providers, adding high-performance 6 GHz operation to the industry’s portfolio of shared-spectrum solutions.
“This new spectrum option empowers us to provide fast, competitive broadband service more widely to the over 50 million families in currently un- or underserved US markets where high-speed fiber is prohibitively expensive and satellites cannot meet network capacity needs,” stated Tarana’s VP of Product Management Rakesh Tiwari. “Our next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) platform, operating in 6 GHz at standard power, provides fiber-class service at scale, even in areas where the band is well-occupied by incumbents and new competitors. Our ngFWA platform can use existing tower and backhaul infrastructure and is well-proven to deliver real-world link speeds typically 5 to 10 times faster than 5G fixed-wireless devices.”
Leveraging its expertise in spectrum sharing in the CBRS band, Federated Wireless began working in 2018 closely with partners and the unlicensed wireless ecosystem to develop an AFC system to enable Wi-Fi 6E and 5G NR-U deployments in the 6 GHz band.
Latest CIO Influence Article: Leveraging Big Data Analytics for Strategic Decision-Making: A Guide for CIOs
- In 2019, Federated Wireless publicly demonstrated the world’s first AFC prototype, proving the feasibility of adapting its cloud-based spectrum sharing technology and platform to meet the FCC’s (then proposed) requirements for the 6 GHz band.
- In August 2022, together with the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) in Saudi Arabia and HPE Aruba Networking, Federated Wireless first demonstrated live AFC system management of the 6 GHz spectrum and standard power Wi-Fi devices.
- In November 2022, the FCC conditionally approved Federated Wireless to be an authorized AFC system operator for the United States.
- In August 2023, the Federated Wireless AFC entered the final phase of the certification process for full commercial use.
Like all Federated Wireless’ spectrum products, AFC users will have access to 24/7 network and security operations (NOC/SOC) support, an offering unique to Federated Wireless among AFC (and spectrum) providers.
Federated Wireless is ready to support commercial operations in the 6 GHz band, furthering its commitment to innovation in the wireless industry.
Latest CIO Influence Article: CIO’s Guide to Preventing Ransomware Attacks in B2B Enterprises
[To share your insights with us as part of editorial or sponsored content, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]
