Aperto announces new customer wins

WASHINGTON--Aperto Networks this week announced a string of new carrier deployments of its PacketWave 3.5 GHz broadband wireless gear. The vendor landed a major contract with Link3 Technologies of Bangladesh to build out at least three metro markets, as well contracts to build out a current customer’s network in Ireland and launch a 3.5 GHz trial in France.

Link3 has purchased and deployed 12 PacketWave base stations in the Bangladeshi cities of Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, covering a population of 14 million. Link3 currently operates a wireless network serving business customers with unlicensed spectrum, but it won 3.5 GHz licenses in 2003 and is in the process of transitioning its corporate clients to the new network. The carrier has plans to expand into all 15 of its markets using 3.5 GHz gear.

In Ireland, Aperto customer Leap Broadband announced it would expand its network rollout using licensed spectrum from Dublin to Limerick, Galway, Cork and Waterford, markets that capture 80% of Ireland’s population. Leap also began as carrier in the unlicensed bands, but after being reallocated to unused licensed spectrum last year, the company has been expanding in the new bands. The carrier launched in Dublin earlier this year, and is using PacketWave equipment for both its 3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz networks.

France Telecom R&D has launched a pilot program using PacketWave equipment in Brittany. France Telecom, however, isn’t using Aperto’s solution for access. While certainly not Aperto’s largest deployment, it’s one of its most significant due to France Telecom’s size and clout in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.