Aperto morphs into point-to-point wireless space

Aperto Networks has added a point-to-point fixed broadband wireless technology to its existing point-to-multipoint product line. Aperto’s new IP Ethernet bridge can connect two locations with a 20 megabits-per-second [Mb/s] data stream up to 30 miles apart with a single link.

“We’re using a lot of the existing technology,” said Alan Menezes, Aperto’s marketing vice president. “We ratcheted up our original subscriber units, made some changes in hardware and software and changed the antenna to have an external antenna for multiple antenna options.”

Menezes admitted the point-to-point market is already crowded with vendors, but said, because it’s primarily a “replacement market” that it is “ready-made” for Aperto’s approach.

“Just for working with many of the service providers, we found they had a need for point-to-point and it was relatively easy for us to get there with a product and complement to what we are already doing,” he said. “Although there are a lot of vendors in this space, we saw a hole in what was offered and what people required.”

The product’s main thrust will be in backhaul emerging Wi-Fi hotspot market.

“It’s a very natural thing for us. it’s not like we were designing a point-to-point product from scratch; we were just expanding what we were doing,” Menezes said.