Following a recent deal with Mediacom, Tarana Wireless confirmed trials with Cox and said Midco is using its fixed wireless access (FWA) tech to extend broadband reach.
Tarana Wireless is making more inroads with the US cable industry, announcing that three operators are using its platform to deploy fixed wireless access (FWA) services for a variety of use cases.
Following a partnership with Mediacom Communications announced in April, Tarana confirmed Tuesday that Cox Communications and Midco are also adopting its next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) technology.
Cox is working with Tarana for a field pilot that taps into both licensed and unlicensed spectrum, including CBRS and 6GHz spectrum. The operator will be showing a live demo of Tarana's tech at next week's SCTE TechExpo in Atlanta. Tarana confirmed that next week's demo will tap into the recently freed 6GHz band.
Tarana didn't specify the location of the field trials, but prior regulatory documentation shows that Cox and the supplier have been conducting tests on 6GHz spectrum in Rio Verde, Arizona. At the time, Cox said it was conducting the tests to explore new technologies and to look into different ways to support areas underserved by broadband. Cox, which now has a mobile service based on an MVNO pact with Verizon, has reportedly run other FWA tests in several other markets, including Macon, Georgia; Tucson, Arizona; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Midco, meanwhile, is using Tarana's platform in support of 11 Connect America Fund (CAF) buildouts where the terrain makes it challenging to use fiber and "legacy" FWA technologies. Midco is using Tarana to deliver a wireless high-speed broadband service (up to 100 Mbit/s, according to this Midco web page) that costs $39 per month.
"We began deploying Tarana's solution this year, and it's enabled us to increase the available bandwidth and better serve our customers," Midco COO Ben Dold said in a statement.
Mediacom focuses on RDOF
As reported earlier, Mediacom is using Tarana gear to help the operator fulfill its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) buildout commitments in parts of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Mediacom's FWA offerings are being delivered on CBRS spectrum.
Mediacom spent about $29.47 million for 576 CBRS licenses, and was awarded about $2.25 million in the phase I RDOF auction to bring broadband to roughly 9,700 locations. A Mediacom official confirmed in April that all the operator's RDOF areas will be constructed using fixed wireless technology, as the company did not bid on any fiber locations via the program.
Mediacom and Tarana said then that the approach ensures that the cable operator's FWA rollout far exceeds the 100 Mbit/s downstream by 20 Mbit/s upload performance required by the RDOF program. It's also an extension of Mediacom Bolt, an FWA product that Mediacom has been offering via other suppliers, including Ericsson, Samsung and Casa Systems, which sold its FWA assets to DZS earlier this year.
Other FWA activity with cable
Tarana has "varying levels of activity across the major MSO's ranging from discussions, proof of concepts, quotes, active trials, and active deployments," an official said. "As operators continue to realize that there is not enough time or money to deploy cable/fiber everywhere, they increasingly look to add Tarana ngFWA to their toolkit."
Tarana, which recently raised an additional $50 million, is not saying what percentage of revenues are coming from US cable at the moment. "We are happy with the pace and expect excellent results in 2025 and beyond," the official said.
Earlier this year, Tarana CEO Basil Alwan told Light Reading that about 40% of the vendor's business stems from government-backed projects, including RDOF, CAF and the American Rescue Plan.
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