CAMBRIDGE, U.K. -- Sentech, the South African state owned enterprise that provides broadcast signal distribution, international telephony and broadband services, has placed an initial order for $1 million of Cambridge Broadband's 3.5GHz VectaStar fixed wireless access equipment. Broadband Solutions Technologies (BST), Cambridge Broadband's South African distribution partner, is responsible for equipment delivery and installation.
Sentech is the only operator in South Africa other than the incumbent telecom operator to have a 3.5GHz fixed wireless licence. The company plans to use the spectrum to provide Broadband Wireless services to business and residential customers, as well as for backhauling traffic from other network components. Commercial services will be launched at the end of January 2004, beginning in Gauteng and expanding soon afterwards to Durban and Cape Town.
Winston Smith, Portfolio Manager of Sentech's broadband products, comments: "We needed to establish a high capacity multimedia fixed wireless access network in four cities, and VectaStar's high level of scalability and low initial capital investment made it the ideal choice. In addition, VectaStar provides the powerful combination of access, backhaul and self-backhaul services, giving us the benefit of working with a single equipment provider for all these applications in our network."
Equipment deliveries have already commenced. BST, Cambridge Broadband's local partner, worked closely with Sentech during the design of the network, and is undertaking the delivery, installation and commissioning of the equipment.
This order is worth approximately $1 million.
Cambridge Broadband Ltd.
Sentech