Alcatel announced its partnership with @rteria, a subsidiary of Réseau de Transport Electricité (RTE), the French electricity transport system's administrator, to experiment WiMAX technology, the new high-speed broadband wireless data transmission standard, in the city of Truchtersheim, in the Alsace region (Eastern France).
Alcatel supplied, installed and integrated WiMAX equipment at the bottom of high-voltage pylons owned by RTE. The data will be transported on the RTE's fiber-optic network, built by Alcatel, for the management and the safety of the electric system.
This trial will enable a representative panel of the city's activities to benefit for the first time from wireless broadband access to the Internet with symmetric data throughput of 2 Mb/s per user. Users (i.e. local households, SMEs and public services such as a school, a library and the City Hall), all located within a distance of 20 kilometers from the WiMAX transmitter, will take advantage of all broadband data and video services including IP telephony.
WiMAX is a new set of standards aimed at providing broadband connectivity through wireless networks for fixed and nomadic use in both urban and rural areas. It offers symmetric broadband access where DSL is unavailable for technical or economical reasons. For operators who are offering a combination of voice and broadband access, it offers a last-mile alternative to unbundling.
"Alcatel contributes, thanks to this innovative project which benefits from the financial backing of the regional development delegation, to the action of RTE to help local authorities enhance their service to citizens and boost their economic development by providing solutions that bridge the digital divide", stated Michel Vaquin, Senior Vice President of Alcatel's integration and services activities.
