INTRACOM's wireless access platform expands Yemen's communication network

PTC, Yemen's largest fixed phone provider with five million subscribers, required a solution that would provide the population of three rural districts - Khamir, Aldalea, and Al Qubaita - with data (internet access) and voice services (both mobile and fixed). Yemen's topography and mountainous terrain posed specific challenges that needed to be overcome by INTRACOM's solution.

'Yemen's landscape necessitated that we opt for tried and tested telecommunications technology that mitigates the need to lay actual cables,' said Ali Ahmed Al-Seri, rural telecom manager, PTC. 'After analysing the various bids, INTRACOM's vast experience in designing high-quality communications platforms for mountainous regions was the deciding factor in PTC's decision.'

An INTRACOM Wireless Access System (IAS-W), a digital wireless access system with Point-to-Multipoint (P-MP) architecture, was deployed by a team of INTRACOM engineers. The IAS-W system consisted of a Wireless Central Node (WCN), and multiple repeater Remote Network Nodes that boosted the transmission capacity to cover a territory of 700 square kilometres.

The IAS-W system offers telecoms operators a number of advantages, including low initial investment costs and scalable deployment of network resources, short roll-out time, and performance flexibility. Running on a TDMA Frequency Division Duplex, the system's features allow operators to deploy a network rapidly in a number of different topographies without the need to lay cables.

'It would have cost us a great deal more to establish a traditional fibre network over this type of terrain, and we would not have been able to expand as quickly as is possible with a wireless setup,' added Al-Seri. 'Our aim of expanding our fixed line network has been achieved, and with INTRACOM's scalable technology we also have plans to rapidly build upon our mobile offerings and grow our subscriber base in this region.'

Due to its P-MP architecture, the IAS-W is effectively configuration-insensitive and provides PTC in Yemen and other regional operators with a solution to satisfy any geography and environmental conditions. PTC now has a flexible infrastructure in place to offer subscribers superior mobile telephony services and stronger reception coverage.

PTC will also benefit from a number of other features built into the IAS-W solution. Fault detection and recovery mechanisms are incorporated, as is a fault tolerance function that allows the IAS-W to operate on a high reliability level. Monitoring devices provide continuous performance testing for real time analysis.

'With the extra network capabilities at our disposal, our network will be more robust, fault tolerant, and scalable to meet future demands,' explained Al-Seri. 'Secure repeater and terminal nodes will afford us the ability to roll out more voice and data services as user demand grows.'

PTC's 'last-mile' fixed phone drop connection, between homes and terminal nodes, consists of digital enhanced cordless telephony (DECT) terminals, providing a wireless link between the subscriber and the network.

'Only a few years back, such advanced technology would only have been seen in the Europe. But with the moves that INTRACOM has made to bring high-end telephony to the Middle East, the region's population can now stay connected no matter where they live,' said Jorge Soto, Sales Director, INTRACOM Middle East FZ LLC

'The IAS-W is the ideal answer for countries where the terrain does not allow for conventional cable network expansion. INTRACOM Middle East and PTC take pride in enabling Yemen's rural population to communicate easily, affordably and effectively,' added Soto.