Nov 12 2007
ArrowSpan Inc., a global provider of switching wireless Wi-Fi mesh solutions, today announced that CAN Corporation, a wireless Internet service provider based in Tokyo, is using ArrowSpan technology to wirelessly extend its fiber-optic backhaul and deliver high-speed broadband services in Nagayo Village, Nagasaki-Prefecture, Japan. This deployment enables CAN Corp. to solve the so-called "last mile" problem and reach unserved rural subscribers without the enormous time and expense normally required to build additional fiber-optic infrastructure.
Located near the port city of Nagasaki, Nagayo Village is bounded by both steep mountains and the sea. Many of the village's 42,000 residents commute to offices in Nagasaki, where they have access to high-speed broadband data and video services. As a result, there has been growing user demand for these same kinds of high-performance broadband services in Nagayo, but the challenge has been finding a way to deliver them cost-effectively to the village's relatively small community over difficult terrain.
"The fiber-optic penetration rate is extremely high in Japan," noted Yuji Kishi, CEO of CAN Corporation. "But there are many remaining rural areas, like Nagayo Village. We needed a flexible technology like Wi-Fi mesh to reach these underserved markets."
After testing wireless mesh solutions from several different equipment providers, CAN Corp. decided to extend its fiber-optic backhaul using switching wireless mesh technology from ArrowSpan. "ArrowSpan was the only wireless mesh provider that delivered enough speed to support high-bandwidth applications like YouTube," said Kishi. "ArrowSpan's superior data rate and quality of service really set them apart from other wireless mesh companies."
To date CAN Corp. has deployed 100 ArrowSpan MeshAP nodes in Nagayo Village. The company realizes revenue both from user subscriptions of 1.5K Y ($13 USD) a month, as well as banner advertising from local businesses that cost 10K Y ($87.30 USD) for one frame per week, with approximately eight frames running every week.
"CAN Corporation's Nagayo deployment shows how cost-effectively ArrowSpan switching wireless mesh technology can solve the last-mile problem for wireless service providers," said Max Lu, president and CEO of ArrowSpan. "Without requiring a huge infrastructure investment, our technology allows wireless service providers to meet user demand and generate revenue from high-bandwidth data and video applications¡Xeven in remote and rural communities that were previously too cost-prohibitive to reach. MeshAP also supports 4.9GHz, 5.4GHz, and 5.8GHz spectrums, which meets the needs for the Japan market deployment.
The Japanese government, which owns Japan's fiber-optic backhaul infrastructure through its national public utility NTT, considers CAN Corporation's deployment of ArrowSpan-based switching wireless mesh technology in Nagayo an important test case for other rural areas of the country that still need access to high-speed broadband services.