Exalt Communications announced that GovNET Inc. is deploying Exalt ExploreAir LR microwave backhaul systems in Arizona as a part of the country’s most advanced statewide multi-agency network, serving public safety, education and healthcare. With the ability to send traffic at 100 Mbps to multi-Gbps rates, the all-outdoor Exalt ExploreAir LR microwave systems will provide wireless backhaul for some of the access to GovNET’s large, first ever 1024QAM backbone network and push the industry forward by setting a new technical benchmark in microwave infrastructure.
The GovNET network is the highest-performance microwave and fiber network of its kind, connecting emergency organizations and first-responders in the western U.S. on the same network, at speeds of over 100 Mbps. In all, many hundreds of Exalt ExploreAir LR nodes will be deployed in the GovNET access network, covering more than 88,000 square miles at an unprecedented 99.9999 percent (“six nines”) availability. Microwave links built on Exalt technology allow GovNET to deliver higher throughput and make the most of available spectrum using these small form factor systems at 512QAM.
“The GovNET network is truly unique. There is no other network like it in the world, and Exalt is helping to make it a reality,” said Patrick Barringer, president and CEO of GovNET Inc. “Their innovative technology enabled Exalt to deliver microwave systems that meet our extremely strict technical requirements on our aggressive timetable – something few other vendors could do. The Exalt team is outstanding, the company’s technology does exactly what they said it would do, and they delivered on-time.”
In addition to supporting critical encrypted public safety communications, the GovNET network serves a variety of public institutions and carries private voice, video and data traffic for local enterprises. The network also supports competitive middle mile interconnects for last-mile providers extending broadband access to rural areas, and it provides direct 100-Mbps to 2 Gbps broadband connections to hospitals, schools, libraries, community colleges and local government organizations.
“The GovNET network will serve as the standard by which new wireless federally-funded emergency networks are judged, and we’re proud to be part of this groundbreaking project,” said Amir Zoufonoun, CEO and founder of Exalt Communications. “From the beginning, our technology platform has enabled us to address the evolving needs of our customers quickly and cost-effectively, and GovNET’s choice of our ExploreAir LR systems further validates our platform’s flexibility, and our commitment to deliver what our customers require within their budgets and on their schedules.”
Substantial funding for the GovNET network is being provided by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is an executive branch agency that advises the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. With programs focused on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in the U.S., the NTIA invests in areas such as improving education, health care, and public safety.
“At GovNET, we are a private-public partnership focused on stimulating economic growth and always putting the needs of the community first,” Barringer concluded. “The fact that Exalt is a U.S. business building its own products close by in California could not have been a better fit for this project.”