Windkeeper to fly SSC's PACS system

Windkeeper Communications unveiled plans last week to leverage personal access communications system technology to provide wireless service in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The C block PCS entity has signed a letter of intent with Siemens Stromberg-Carlson to purchase the PACS Edge low-tier wireless system, which SSC displayed at Supercomm '96.

Windkeeper opted for PACS because of its plans to target businesses and residents for wireline replacement service, said Zoé Hazen, president and chief executive officer of Windkeeper. The two incumbent wireless providers in the Virgin Islands will likely corner the market on high-mobility digital services, she noted.

"If you just compete head to head on mobility services, you're not going to get a market share," Hazen said.

The PACS wireline-quality voice rate and intelligent network feature set make it ideal for companies looking to crack the local access market, said Victor Liang, vice president of SSC's wireless products group.

Windkeeper and previous PACS Edge purchaser 21st Century Telesis both plan to go that route. "They all have plans to go in as [competitive access providers]," said Liang. "They have very unique strategies."

The hilly geography of the Virgin Islands, which Hazen said is similar to San Francisco or Oakland, also makes PACS appealing.

"Given the terrain I'm dealing with, the way the RF propagation works is much better," said Hazen.

Windkeeper also considered code division multiple access but had some doubts about handset availability and the technology's performance, Hazen said.

The company expects to launch service in 1997.