6 WISPAPALOOZA SHOW I OCTOBER 3 – 6, 2022 www.bekabusinessmedia.com L Z OO 2022 DAY 2 Intracom Telecom is demonstrating its fifth generation of the broadband wireless platform, bringing long-range Ultra Broadband FWA. The WiBAS G5 evo-BS and the WiBAS G5 Connect+ are the key elements of an ecosystem of wireless connectivity solutions with radios operating in the licensed mmW bands (24.25-29.50 GHz). The high speed of connection of the FWA ecosystem of Intracom Telecom, reaching 1Gbps, along with extended cell ranges of up to 11km make WiBAS G5 the perfect choice for connectivity providers owing mmWave spectrum assets. WiBAS G5 can coexist peacefully with 5G NR networks by using advanced software defined radio and configurable air interface. It is noted that since 1997, Intracom Telecom has committed to inventing technologies and bringing innovative solutions to connect parts of the population living in the semi-rural and rural parts of the country. The trademarked UltraLinkGX80 all-outdoor E-Band radio provides capacities up to 10 Gbps full duplex improving network build-time and cost compared to optical fiber deployment. By featuring market-leading system gain it can deliver its multi-Gigabit/s capacity to exceptional E-Band radio link ranges, while in dual band configuration, in combination with Intracom Telecom’s even a third-party vendor’s traditional microwave-frequency radios, it can extend the delivery of up 10Gbps to ranges of 10km and beyond. Its advanced carrier Ethernet functionality allows it to deliver Ethernet services without the use of additional switches and to be integrated easily into metro Ethernet networks. The small size and convenient all-outdoor design allows it to be deployed easily and quickly on rooftops or telecommunication towers requiring minimal space and ancillary infrastructure, optimizing access and transport network economics. For more information, visit Intracom Telecom at booth 235 on the WISPAPALOOZA 2022 Exhibit Floor. m It’s been nearly a year since President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Within that bill was the establishment of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which appropriates $42 billion for broadband deployment, mapping and adoption projects. The funding will be delivered through the states and territories. Many WISPs can be and are affected by the bill and the potential money, so the WISPAPALOOZA Daily checked in with CEO David Zumwalt to update the measure’s status Zumwalt recounted the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NITA) published its BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on May 13 – about a half month before he took the reins of WISPA. He said the NOFO established a “clear preference” for projects incorporating optical fiber, and it treats as “unserved” the areas that are provided exclusively with unlicensed fixed wireless service in the last mile. “That means BEAD funding can be used to overbuild such networks, even though WISPA members tended to be the only service providers active in the areas prioritized for funding under the IIJA, even if broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps were already being provided,” Zumwalt said. “It also means that such networks could only qualify for BEAD funding in limited circumstances after a state had determined what its ‘extremely high cost per location threshold’ should be.” In the meantime, Zumwalt said “a full court press of sorts” has been launched as WISPA is talking with the NTIA and stakeholders to change that definition so that purely unlicensed providers can access BEAD grants that states will implement. “Additionally, we’re working to address other requirements within the rules which adversely affect financing, access to labor, and other costs-causing obligations, so that smaller players, if they wanted to apply for BEAD money, have a fair shot,” Zumwalt said. “This work will run over the next couple of years as the NTIA, the FCC, Congress and others refine the NOFO process so that it can fully realize the goals Congress set before it in the IIJA,” he said. In an interview Zumwalt did earlier in the year, he acknowledged some WISPA members could see their service areas overbuilt, and he expressed concern that some WISPs may have difficulty in obtaining the letters of credit required for funding recipients. In that interview he cited a WISPA position paper that suggests NTIA issue a revision to the NOFO to make clear locations that can access broadband service using entirely unlicensed spectrum meet the criteria for reliable broadband service and thus will not be considered ‘unserved.’ In the WISPAPALOOZA Daily interview, Zumwalt said, “To the extent the program becomes more inclusive to providers of purely unlicensed spectrum, then they’ll be able to compete for those state grants, which will total $42 billion for deployment.” Also included in the IIJA is another $20 billion targeted for digital equity and middle-mile programs, which do not have the same restrictions. “Those who are already providing fiber, have licensed spectrum, or are part of the FCC’s ACP, ECF, CAF and RDOF programs, well, the hurdles will be far fewer and the opportunities more apparent,” Zumwalt explained. “That aside, it’s really dependent on the sophistication and the exposure to risk that any given company feels comfortable with. “Government programs always come with lots of strings,” he said. “The decision to go for such funding involves a complex balance of factors each company needs to carefully weigh,” he explained. “But the opportunities are there by design. States cannot do this work without WISPs or others in the private sector accomplishing the work needed in the local communities.” m By Bruce Christian WISPA Mounts ‘Full Court Press’ to Change Definition in BEADS Program Intracom Showcases 24/28GHz Compact PMP Radios for Long Range FWA
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