Exalt Communications announced its new ExtendAir™ microwave radio platform, a complete line of entry-level licensed and license-exempt point-to-point systems that brings high-end performance, range and features including native TDM to the sub-$5,000 per-link category. As the most affordable best-of-breed solution for voice, data and video connectivity, Exalt ExtendAir microwave systems are designed to help service providers, enterprises and government agencies worldwide continue their mission-critical infrastructure build-outs and upgrade projects under the most stringent capital budget constraints. ExtendAir can be deployed anywhere new fiber, leased lines and traditional microwave are not economically viable, and where low-priced Ethernet bridges do not provide the required level of performance and reliability.

“To date, low-cost wireless connectivity options have generally been limited to solutions which were not designed for sustained, guaranteed throughput over long distances – often solutions built from WiFi-based radios,” said Peter Jarich, Service Director with Current Analysis. “Promising carrier-grade reliability at this price point is clearly attractive to operators. Doing it without sacrificing advanced data networking, security and management features is even more impressive.”

ExtendAir is the first entry-level microwave radio system to offer advanced features such as built-in Layer 2 switching, 3-port Ethernet, full-speed 256-bit AES encryption, Ethernet rate limiting and SNMPv3 management. ExtendAir native TDM capability is a first for license-exempt systems. All ExtendAir radios support multi-level QoS and VLAN tagging for complete traffic management flexibility. Moreover, ExtendAir radios offer ‘pay-as-you-grow’ scalability, with field-upgradable capacity and sustained high throughput and high 99.999 percent availability over ranges up to 22 miles (35 kilometers). At the same time, ExtendAir radios are small, lightweight and easy to install and maintain.

Exalt designed the ExtendAir product line to cost effectively meet the full range of connectivity needs required by mobile operators, WISPs, government agencies, municipalities, utilities, schools, hospitals and the Global 2000. ExtendAir systems are ideal for network infrastructure applications throughout the world including base station backhaul, last mile access, video surveillance, two-way radio backhaul, campus connectivity and infrastructure monitoring.

“The absence of guaranteed performance stands in the way of large-scale, high capacity microwave radio use by enterprises, government agencies and service providers, because most current entry-level systems are based on best-effort access technologies that have simply been repurposed – inefficiently – for point-to-point operation,” said Amir Zoufonoun, President and CEO of Exalt Communications. “By offering guaranteed throughput with native TDM support and many of the security and management features of our high-end radio systems at an entry-level price, the ExtendAir line is the first to bring rock-solid microwave performance within reach of any organization that needs business critical connectivity.”