Costa Rica's Incumbent Operator I.C.E. To Build Large WiMAX Network

I.C.E. (El Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) of Costa Rica, the country's main telecommunications operator, has awarded Airspan Networks, Inc. through its local partner, Datatell (Datatell 3000 de Costa Rica), a contract to build a nationwide WiMAX network in the licensed 3.5Ghz frequency band. The project is one of the most ambitious and comprehensive WiMAX networks planned for deployment in Latin America in 2007, and it is expected eventually to cover all major population centers in Costa Rica.

I.C.E. offers a wide range of fixed and mobile networks and data telecommunications services throughout Costa Rica. The company, which owns significant 3.5GHz frequency spectrum, awarded the contract through formal bidding and rigorous selection processes conducted in 2006 among various international WiMAX vendors. The Airspan-Datatell bid, which included a detailed technology evaluation, radio frequency planning, capacity designs, local services, network support and implementation, was judged by I.C.E. to be the best bid submitted.

The network deployment is scheduled to begin early in the second half of 2007, with the network to begin to be operational by year end. The network will serve enterprise and other customers that demand high-grade IP-based data services in Costa Rica's urban areas. The core network will be based on Airspan's HiperMAX WiMAX platform. During the first phase of the network roll out, Airspan will supply more than 400 of its HiperMAX base stations. The project also calls for Airspan-Datatell to improve I.C.E.'s backbone network infrastructure to increase data capacity, and to provide implementation services.

The first phase of the project, including local integration and services, is valued at approximately $11.0 million, of which Airspan equipment and services will comprise approximately sixty percent. I.C.E. has indicated that it may expand the network in the future for added functionality or broader geographical coverage.

"We have worked diligently with I.C.E. during the last year and are extremely pleased to announce the award of this network, the largest WiMAX project awarded so far in Latin America," said Amit Ancikovsky, Airspan's vice president & general manager, Americas. "From the start of the bidding process we gave I.C.E. clear visibility into the current and future applications of WiMAX, and we invested heavily in a detailed network design to optimize performance and minimize cost. We are extremely proud of this show of confidence in our technology and operational capabilities."

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Photo of Cartago, Costa Rica by Sairen. GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2.