Broadband wireless vendor Flarion has been selected as the equipment provider for a nationwide 450MHz network launch in Finland (see Unstrung, Finland Picks Flash-OFDM).

As Unstrung pointed out last week, the firm had a pretty good shot at the contract, with five out of the seven bidders stating a preference for Flarion’s Flash-OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) technology.

The carrier plans a three-phase rollout. The first phase, covering sparsely populated regions, is due to be completed in September 2006. The majority of Finland would be covered by December 2007 and remaining “shadow areas” added by September 2009.

Digita was unable to provide comment on its planned network expenditure, but bidding rival Saunalahti Group Oyj had set aside 30 million (US$36 million) for deployment (see Flarion Finds Finnish Friend).

Flarion’s VP of global communications and marketing, Ronny “The Rocket” Haraldsvik, says that the deal will have “further ramifications beyond 450.” He sees Finland’s network as a model for European regulators considering the launch of 450MHz networks. Until now, 450MHz rollouts in Europe have used CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology.

As a 450MHz network operator Digita will offer capacity to all interested operators on equal terms. Operators can combine their existing customer care systems with the new network, thus eliminating overlapping investments and constructing a cost efficient network.

Many countries have only 4 MHz of spectrum in the 450 MHz band, leaving room for only a single wideband channel, explains Flarion. By opting for CDMA, carriers and governments are limiting themselves either to voice and narrowband data with CDMA 1X or data only with 1X EV-DO. With EV-DO rev. A — which will add VoIP capabilities — still years off, Flash-OFDM is emerging as a prime candidate for the spectrum, offering voice and broadband data today, says Flarion in a Telephony article.

Flarion claims FLASH-OFDM currently delivers the highest sustainable uplink performance of any technology, and so delivers the highest VoIP capacity, currently 31 calls in 1.25MHz of paired spectrum. Future enhancements to FLASHOFDM will further increase the uplink and downlink capacity.

Flarion says (pdf) that a 450MHz cell site can reach up to 50km (30 miles). An operator can deploy a network with up to 75% fewer cell sites than cellular at 2 GHz, making broadband data (and IP voice), ubiquitous and cheap. Flarion has an OEM partnership with Siemens to address the 450MHz market.

Flarion says Netgear will provide integrated FLASH-OFDM/Wi-Fi products. A NETGEAR WAR314 access point provides local WiFi with an integrated Flarion backhaul. Siemens will have 450MHz terminals in 2006. Flarion has its own line of PC Cards and Desktop modems that are available today at 700MHz, 800MHz, 1.9GHz, 2.1GHz and 2.3GHz.

Flarion’s technology also is being used in The Netherlands, Tokyo; Washington, D.C.; and Australia. Flarion’s Flexbeam can pack broadband bits into narrow channels on the 450 MHz or 700 Mhz band for 2-way broadband on the go.

Aloha Partners got a ton of frequency pairs in the 700 Mhz FCC auction a couple of years ago, so a two-way system may also be possible in the United States. Flarion’s Flexbeam would be one possibility. But Aloha Partners is also a member of the WiMax Forum. They also like WiMAX in the licensed 700 MHz band.

Om Malik interviews Rajiv Laroia, CTO and founder of Flarion.

OM: So you are hoping that you become the next evolution of GSM?

RL: I think thats a fair thing to say. Thats where were positioning ourselves, to be the data evolution of the GSM, WCDMA roadmap. We will clearly delineate between where the spectrum is, the available spectrum is. So when it comes to the U.S. clearly 700 megahertz continues to be an opportunity, and in Europe we [have] 450 MHz.

Charles Townsend, CEO and general partner with Aloha Partners, owns 77 licenses in the 700 MHz band. Townsend says the key to making wireless broadband as ubiquitous as the cell phone is getting customer equipment costs under $200, the service itself under $50 a month and national coverage.

Related DailyWireless stories include; Arraycomm + Intel Beam WiMax, CDMA vs OFDM, The 700 Mhz Club, Aussie Cellco & 4G Partners, Navini Joins WiMax, Navini and Arraycomm Face Off in Sydney, WiMax World Wrap, Korea Gets WiBro, Unwired Countries, WiBro Does China, WiMax: HPi - Not, WiMax Procession, WiMax 16d+ Dilemma, WiMax: Will It Stay or Will It Go?, Toyko Gets WiMaxed, China WiMax, 802.16 Chips Partner Up, Alvarion Promotes Mobile WiMax, Will 802.20 Challenge WiMax?, National 802.16 from McCaw, Spectrum Cowboys, NextNet Deploys. Toyko Gets WiMaxed, The 700 Mhz Club, WiMax Switcharoo, and IEEE Scores 802.16d.

Posted by Sam Churchill on Thursday, June 23rd, 2005 at 7:06 am.