Growing Number Of Raleigh/Durham Businesses Adopt WiMAX-based Broadband Services
WakeMed Hospital System among local enterprises benefiting from Airband Communications’ wireless network
DALLAS and RALEIGH, N.C. – May 1, 2008 – Airband Communications Inc., the industry’s leading fixed-wireless company for businesses in the United States, today reported that a growing number of Raleigh/Durham, N.C. businesses are adopting its fixed-wireless broadband services because the company offers a reliable and scalable alternative to traditional wireline providers.
Local clients include WakeMed Health and Hospitals, the largest non-profit healthcare system in Wake County. WakeMed originally selected Airband’s fixed-wireless service to provide Internet access at its Raleigh campus for patients and guests. Today, the healthcare system relies on Airband to provide Internet access at four of its major healthcare facilities as well as the hospital’s free-standing emergency departments in North Raleigh and Apex, N.C. “The Internet access we provided to our patients and guests through Airband’s wireless circuit was so popular that we recently upgraded our connection, which was completed easily and quickly,” said John Tuman, director of network services for WakeMed. “We also use Airband’s service for our internal production traffic and depend on it to provide carrier path diversity.”
In addition to WakeMed, Airband also provides services to many local businesses including several in the hospitality industry, multiple city governments and educational institutions. Airband’s comprehensive suite of services includes high-speed data services up to GigE speeds, Voice over IP and managed firewall/virtual private network. Local customers benefit from:
- An affordable choice for last-mile access: Customers have the option to use fixed-wireless services for bypassing the traditional wireline networks or implementing true path redundancy and diversity.
- Rapid installation: Most new customers can have service installed in a matter of days, rather than weeks as is common with wired service installations.
- Scalable bandwidth: Bandwidth upgrades can be deployed within hours; plus, customers only buy the bandwidth they need because Airband services and upgrades are not restricted to T1 and DS3 increments.
- Greater reliability: Airband’s services are backed by a 100-percent uptime guarantee and supported by the company’s Network Operations Center that provides 24/7 monitoring and customer service.
- Easy to manage: Airband’s services are delivered via an Ethernet connection, making it easy for customers to manage and connect directly to their LAN.
“As home to the nation’s largest research park, Raleigh is an innovative technology market with growing businesses that are demanding cutting-edge, broadband solutions,” said Mark Spagnolo, president and CEO of Airband. “At Airband, we’re committed to providing Raleigh/Durham businesses a better choice for last-mile access, one with unprecedented scalability that is based on leading WiMAX technology.” Airband entered the North Carolina market in May 2006 by acquiring WindChannel, a local fixed-wireless provider. Since the acquisition, Airband has upgraded network capacity to meet local customer demands for higher bandwidth services. Airband currently operates eight base stations in the Raleigh/Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte, N.C. markets – a coverage area that spans more than 628 square miles.
Airband serves more than 3,500 customers nationwide, and is in the midst of a national expansion. Current Airband markets include Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Baltimore, Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas/Fort Worth; Greensboro, N.C., Houston; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Raleigh/Durham, N.C., San Antonio and Southern California.
About Airband Communications
Airband Communications, Inc. is the largest fixed wireless broadband provider for businesses in the United States. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-speed data, Voice over IP, remote data protection, security and other managed solutions – delivered over one of the industry’s most scalable last-mile networks. Airband bypasses the local phone company to provide faster provisioning intervals, immediate scalability and complete redundancy for its customers. More than 3,500 businesses nationwide already count on Airband for their broadband service. For more information, please visit www.airband.com.
