Deltenna's WiBE Brings Broadband Services To Rural UK and Ireland
While everyone, politicians Telecom carriers, FCC and Telecom bloggers have be harping about broadband services to rural masses, Deltenna, a small company in UK is taking the technology to the field, literally. A small device Deltenna developed, connects to 3G services and becomes a hotspot to serve farmers and cows and who ever happened to be in the rural areas.
But this is different from MiFI I just got from Virgin Mobile, (which is as slow as a jar of molasses when two people are connected, forget about the 5 connections the miFi allows), Deltenna's device connects with tested speeds as high as 2.8Mbps in rural areas. The device could reach theoretical limit of 7.2Mbps in ideal connections.
Cetag Systems, Ireland and Buzz Networks in UK will be the first to deploy the service. In England the the device could cost as high as £425 while in Ireland it will cost €299.
Press Release;
1st November: Deltenna's WiBE, a device to deliver fast broadband to rural areas that are far from the phone exchange, will today become available to consumers and businesses in the UK and Ireland through its reseller network.
The gadget connects to the 3G mobile network and creates a web hotspot - even when a mobile phone, dongle or MiFi device wouldn't register a 3G signal.
Recent independent tests for a UK broadcaster showed that in areas of weak signal the device delivers a data throughput 30-times greater than a 3G USB modem dongle. And the connection range is typically between three and five-times that of the 3G dongle.
The WiBE's maximum throughput is 7.2Mbps and extensive tests in the UK demonstrate a typical download speed of 2.8Mbps in rural regions. These are achieved through Deltenna's patented directional antennas and alignment algorithms.
Users connect laptops, smartphones or VoIP phones to the device via WiFi.
The device automatically tests each mobile cell in range to determine the fastest available download speed and configures its aerials to achieve the best possible connection and block any interference.
The first companies to offer the WiBE are Cetag Systems in Ireland and Buzz Networks in the UK. Buzz will resell the WiBE with its VoIP service under the name Hubb@.
The WiBE is also undergoing trials with major network operators and was recently selected by the UK Trade and Investment to represent the best of British innovation at Mobile World Congress 2011.
