Ireland Gets Mobile WiMax

PARIS and DUBLIN -- National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today launched the first WiMAX Rev-e network service in Ireland. The project is funded by the Centre for Telecommunications Value Chain Research (CTVR) and marks a significant milestone in the deployment of a super-fast, wireless network based on WiMAX Rev-e technology in the country.

Alcatel-Lucent’s WiMAX solution will enable NUI Maynooth staff, 6,000 students and other Irish researchers to benefit from “always-on” broadband services, including VOIP services and new, mobile high-speed data services such as DVD-quality streaming video, fast downloads of very large files as well as video-conferencing. With WiMAX, remote access to the university network will be possible for students living off-campus, even when located as far as 20 kilometers from the site enabling students and academic staff to access sophisticated mainframe computing power available at NUI Maynooth and exchange data or multimedia files as if they were on the campus.

For this project, Alcatel-Lucent provided NUI Maynooth with a turnkey infrastructure solution, including WiMAX Rev-e radio access, base stations, wireless access controllers, and an operation and maintenance center (OMC) as well as services including network planning and engineering, deployment, integration optimization and maintenance.

“We are very excited about the possibilities that WiMAX offers everyone at the university; fast voice, video and data transport will greatly facilitate knowledge transfer and resource sharing,” said Dr. Ronan Farrell, Director of the Institute of Microelectronics and Wireless Systems at NUI Maynooth. “Thanks to Alcatel-Lucent’s WiMAX solution we will benefit from innovative and full mobile high-speed campus wide communications. The WiMAX network is also a great opportunity for developing our research activities on mobile and wireless technologies and applications”.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)