Axell & Co. provide a multi-radio DAS in the World Trade Center to support fire, police, and first responders.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

March 25, 2014

2 Min Read
Axell & Friends Snag World Trade DAS Deal

Axell Wireless has provided radios to install a wireless safety network at the One World Trade Center tower and in other parts of the complex, marking one of the larger public safety network projects in the US.

The system, which supports the multiple radio frequencies needed for fire, police, and other first responders, is in the "Freedom Tower" and several other WTC buildings. The distributed antenna system [DAS] infrastructure will also cover the transport hub, pavilion, shopping malls, and transportation center for the complex, museum, and memorial.

The One World Trade Center installation was handled by a joint venture between tech-mer and North American Mobile Systems, named Techmer-nams LLC. Axell provided the radio headend equipment. Pinnacle is responsible for the installation of the Axell equipment across the rest of the World Trade Center complex, including the transport hub, memorial, museum, pavilion, VSC roadway, and shopping area, Axell tells Light Reading.

"It's nice to be able point to the tallest building in the USA and say our stuff is in there," says Matt Thompson, vice president of sales, Americas, at Axell.

Figure 1: One World Trade Center

Axell is used to these kind of major deployments in buildings and other large structures. Thompson says that the firm has also installed a DAS in the tallest building in the world -- the Burj Khalifa in Dubai -- and the Channel Tunnel connecting London and Paris. The company was acquired last year by Cobham for £85 million ($140 million) last year. (See Cobham Buys Axell Wireless.)

Figure 2: Axell's Optical Master Unit This is some of the hardware that gets racked up in the WTC. This is some of the hardware that gets racked up in the WTC.

Communications contracts for the new World Trade Center now appear to be getting resolved. For instance, Boingo Wireless Inc. appears close to securing a commercial DAS and WiFi system in parts of the center. (See Boingo Set for World Trade Center Wireless Network Deal.)

The Port Authority, which runs the complex, has not responded to questions about DAS or WiFi yet.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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