Telecom Lead America: Global Reach Technology, a provider of Wi-Fi, cloud- and IP-based policy management services, has selected Ruckus Networks’ ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi system for Wi-Fi projects in the UK.
Global Reach has deployed Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi indoor and outdoor ZoneFlex products for its public hotspot infrastructure along 44km of the River Thames and onboard Thames Clippers London River Ferries to support more than 30 million people accessing the river each year.
In addition to providing public Wi-Fi access through its own Thames Wi-Fi hot zone branded service, planned for Q1 2013, Global Reach is leveraging its infrastructure to offer wholesale and international roaming services across the 27 miles of river coverage.
BT gives public Wi-Fi access free of charge to all its BT Broadband subscribers via the white-labeled Global Reach service to the Thames River network, while the Transport for London authority is using the Wi-Fi infrastructure for private services such as real-time location-based information, tracking boats, network monitoring, timetables, CCTV surveillance and other services.
In addition, Global Reach has selected Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi as the standard technology for the City Wi-Fi services it provides for Virgin Media Business in Leeds and Bradford.
Nigel Wesley, CEO of Global Reach Technology, said: “At the end of the day, customers don’t really care about how the infrastructure works – they simply want a fast, reliable and affordable Wi-Fi experience that’s easy to access and use. That’s precisely what we’re delivering with Ruckus.”
Global Reach has used new Ruckus ZoneFlex 7782-N, carrier-class 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n outdoor access points (APs) to deploy at main piers crisscrossing the Thames River. 24 Thames Clippers London river ferries are being equipped with ZoneFlex 7363 802.11n indoor dual-band Smart Wi-Fi access points, along with 3G backhaul and ZoneDirector controllers at the Global Reach network operation centers, to provide centralized administration and remote management.
Chris Spencer, CTO of Global Reach, said: “With its adaptive antenna structure and high-capacity designs, Ruckus has clearly differentiated itself by delivering among the most reliable systems on the market that are distinctly designed for carriers. With the kit we’ve seen a significant increase in the signal strength as well as the number of concurrent users and sessions we are able to support at any one given time.”
