Cambridge Broadband partner with Gateway Communications to create world's largest point to multipoint microwave network

VectaStar II to underpin high-speed wireless broadband in Nigeria

Cambridge, UK, 28th January 2010: Cambridge Broadband Networks today announced a contract with Gateway Communications to create the world’s largest point to multipoint microwave access network. Gateway will use Cambridge Broadband Networks’ industry leading VectaStar II platform to provision 130 hubs and 5000 terminal stations that will deliver mobile broadband connections across Nigeria.

Gateway Communications Nigeria, headquartered in Lagos, are building a pan-African, all-IP connectivity network that covers every major African city and has acquired 10.5GHz spectrum licences for point to multipoint in Nigeria to further the project. The company will roll out up to 10Mb mobile broadband services across 10 Nigerian states in 2010, with Port Harcourt and Abuja scheduled to go live in February. It is anticipated that a further 14 states will go live through 2011. The deal follows Gateway’s successful roll out of its award winning AirlinkTM and MetroLinkTM mobile broadband services, using VectaStar 10.5GHz solutions in Lagos.

“High speed, high quality and secure broadband networks are critical for businesses in Nigeria. Gateway has an aggressive roll-out plan for mobile broadband networks in 2010 and 2011. We needed an efficient, reliable and high capacity solution that could be deployed quickly,” said Guy Clarke, Managing Director, Gateway Nigeria, “and point to multipoint met all those requirements as well as being highly efficient to run and commercially sound.”

Cambridge Broadband Networks developed its point to multipoint (P2MP) microwave solutions to address operators’ growing needs for more efficient, high capacity mobile backhaul and access solutions. P2MP technology can be deployed rapidly, it delivers significant capital and operational savings over legacy point to point microwave solutions and it provides an upgrade path to meet the forecast demand for mobile broadband services. VectaStar II features industry-leading performance characteristics including 7-state hitless adaptive modulation, 256QAM modulation to deliver class-leading spectral efficiency and Ethernet throughput performance.

“The agreement with Gateway perfectly illustrates the clear benefits of Cambridge Broadband’s VectaStar II solution,” commented Graham Peel, Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge Broadband Networks. “Whether in emerging or developed markets, point to multipoint microwave has clear and demonstrable advantages over the legacy point to point solutions. VectaStar has already been adopted by 50 operators in 35 geographic markets, including in what the GSMA has described as the world’s busiest mobile broadband network. This latest mass deployment provides further validation of the technology and Cambridge Broadband’s ability to deliver.”