Corn Belt deploys Exalt microwave backhaul systems

US-based generation and transmission (G&T) electric cooperative Corn Belt Power Cooperative has deployed IP-based wireless backhaul systems provider Exalt Communications' microwave backhaul systems to consolidate its legacy communications network and manage the traffic load on its smart grid and SCADA systems. Working with Exalt partner Calhoun Communications of Sioux City, Iowa, Corn Belt Power deployed Exalt ExploreAir 11 GHz microwave systems and Exalt EX-Series 5 GHz and 6 GHz systems. Calhoun helped integrate the Exalt ExploreAir systems into the co-op's existing phone networks, consolidating several T-1 lines with the product's native support for both Ethernet and TDM. The ExploreAir radios at Corn Belt Power also support two-way radio base station control traffic, a serial radio system used for protective relaying, and offsite backups for the co-op's new virtual server infrastructure. The Exalt EX systems provide mobile backhaul to the co-op's legacy OC-3 microwave rings at full-duplex speeds of up to 230 Mbps. Exalt microwave backhaul systems are designed to enable transition to IP, they offer native support for both TDM and Ethernet, and are fully software configurable. For secure management using third-party network management systems, Exalt systems support SNMP v1, v2c and v3. Data security is provided by available FIPS 197-compliant AES 128-bit and 256-bit encryption that adds zero latency to the transmission.