OTTAWA -- DragonWave Inc. (AIM/TSX: DWI), a leading global supplier of next-generation wireless networks, today announced that it has expanded its coverage to include the 6 to 8 GHz range of licensed radio frequencies. This enhanced frequency coverage on the Horizon Compact product dramatically improves DragonWave’s relevance as a provider of wireless backhaul solutions for a variety of geographic markets around the world.

“Mobile and fixed wireless services are reaching more and more areas of the world, and, as they do, backhaul is emerging as a common source of bottlenecks,” said Michael Kennedy, president, with Network Strategy Partners. “Wireless Carrier Ethernet provides a simple and cost efficient solution to this problem, and having frequency coverage from 6 to 38 GHz enables applications in a wide variety of environments.”

Carriers seek 6 to 8 GHz frequency coverage for backhauling wireless traffic in remote, rural areas or in high rain regions such as equatorial zones because it enables interference-free transport over longer distances. In North America the upcoming availability of 700 MHz spectrum for access coupled with a Carrier Ethernet solution operating at 6 to 8 GHz frequencies delivers a compelling solution for bridging the urban-rural digital divide.

“DragonWave’s support of the 6 to 8 GHz range enhances our ability to offer cost-effective and high-performance network solutions on a global basis,” said Robert Dew, director, network engineering with NextWave Broadband Inc., which partners with DragonWave to supply service providers worldwide with fully integrated, end-to-end, mobile broadband and transport network solutions. “One of the main reasons that this partnership is so successful is DragonWave’s introduction of enhanced functionality in close sync with the evolving needs of our customers.”

The Horizon Compact—delivering 800 Mbps full duplex capacity—operates in licensed radio frequencies up to 38 GHz. DragonWave is the only equipment provider supporting such a wide frequency band in an all-outdoor configuration. DragonWave’s Horizon Compact keeps a carrier’s capital and operational expenditures in check by integrating all of the necessary functionality of traditional wireless indoor and outdoor units in a single, outdoor, 9-inch-square, native Gigabit Ethernet microwave transmission system. Installation and other operational burdens are reduced, as the Horizon Compact demands no footprint in indoor base-station cabinets and uses standard CAT5E cabling with Power over Ethernet. Furthermore, the Horizon Compact enables “virtual integration” into DragonWave partners’ equipment, as it can be powered and managed directly via the base-station equipment without requiring the development of new interfaces.

“Our move to support 6 to 8 GHz frequencies is another sign that Carrier Ethernet has moved beyond an initial adoption stage,” said Alan Solheim, vice president of product management at DragonWave. “Carriers now need solutions tailored for deployments other than the high-density metropolitan areas where services were first introduced. With many of our customers seeking to upgrade legacy equipment to IP (Internet Protocol) in more areas of their service footprint, this made the time right to expand our frequency coverage. And we will continue to do so, as necessitated by arising market requirements.”

DragonWave Inc. (AIM/Toronto: DWI; Nasdaq: DRWI)