DALLAS – Nokia and ExteNet Systems today announced their agreement to deliver a CBRS network for Cal.net, Inc., a wireless internet service provider based in Northern California, with internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps downlink and 20 Mbps uplink for Cal.net customers in rural and underserved regions.

For the network buildout, Nokia is the primary supplier of equipment deployed in the Cal.net network, including microwave radios, IP routers and the AirScale RAN solution. ExteNet Systems, a leading communications infrastructure provider, is responsible for the design, build and operations of Cal.net’s CBRS network while also providing a hosted IP core service.

The new network buildout is underway with most of the work planned for completion in the first four years of the agreement. By leveraging Nokia’s microwave backhaul to connect cell sites, combined with fixed wireless to reach end users and high-performance IP service routers, Cal.net can overcome the challenges of bringing high-speed broadband to regions where fiber rollout isn’t an option.

The Cal.net network will also be one of the first deployments of CBRS technology in the U.S. The new network will utilize the shared 3.5 GHz CBRS spectrum band, previously available only to the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense. CBRS enables multiple entities to use the shared spectrum band at the same time, and opens up new spectrum that wireless internet service providers such as Cal.net can access to bring high-speed internet and 5G to its rural communities.

Nokia
Cal.net
ExteNet Systems