Aviat Completes LTE Capacity and Interoperability Tests for Public Safety Communications Research

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviat Networks, Inc. AVNW, the leading expert in microwave networking solutions, today announced its completion of LTE evaluation in the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program at the Commerce Department's Boulder Laboratories in Boulder, Colorado. Aviat Networks is the first and only vendor to deploy high-capacity microwave radios for LTE interoperability testing at PSCR in licensed spectrum.

The PSCR network provides a wireless testbed to demonstrate interoperability among equipment from a range of manufacturers that supply mission-critical communications solutions to the nation's first-responder agencies.

"Public Safety Communications Research lab serves as a gatekeeper for interoperability testing of LTE products for the US public safety broadband market," says Frank Ohrtman, analyst and author of the Mind Commerce 2013 report Public Safety Broadband Market: Who's on FirstNet?. "Ultimately, it's critical that public safety networks that want to join FirstNet purchase equipment that has been thoroughly checked out in real-world conditions, such as those that exist in the PSCR field lab."

In support of its 700MHz demonstration network, PSCR needed high-bandwidth microwave backhaul radios to test LTE basestations. Aviat's LTE-proven microwave provides more than ample capacity for the needs of PSCR as well as for public safety LTE, in the future. In addition, Aviat's Eclipse radio delivers key features crucial to mission-critical LTE installations including flexible all-indoor architecture, Strong Security to harden wireless communications and network management, 200-year MTBF field-measured reliability and low-cost upgradability to leverage the installed base of public safety communications equipment.

"Aviat has worked with public safety network operators in North America for more than 50 years," says Tony Ljubicich, vice president North America sales and services, Aviat Networks. "The linchpin for those operators has always been the robust, wide bandwidth available in Aviat's portfolio of high reliability, high-capacity licensed microwave radios. Similarly, the Eclipse radio platform provides this to help enable the PSCR demonstration network. As a global leader in wireless infrastructure solutions for telecom networks, we welcome the challenge to prove the interoperability of Eclipse radios with other vital emergency communications equipment."

About the Public Safety Research Communications Demonstration Network

The PSCR program (www.pscr.gov) is a joint effort of two U.S. Department of Commerce agencies, the Law Enforcement Standards Office (OLES) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). PSCR provides objective technical support—research, development, testing and evaluation—to foster public safety communications interoperability. In close collaboration with private sector and public safety partners, PSCR has built a demonstration test bed for manufacturers, carriers and public safety agencies to evaluate advanced broadband communications equipment and software for a future 700 MHz interoperable public safety broadband network.

About Aviat Networks

Aviat Networks, Inc. AVNW is a leading global provider of microwave networking solutions transforming communications networks to handle the exploding growth of IP-centric, multi-Gigabit data services. With more than 750,000 systems installed around the world, Aviat Networks provides LTE-proven microwave networking solutions to mobile operators, including some of the largest and most advanced 4G/LTE networks in the world. Public safety, utility, government and defense organizations trust Aviat Networks' solutions for their mission-critical applications where reliability is paramount. In conjunction with its networking solutions, Aviat Networks provides a comprehensive suite of localized professional and support services enabling customers to effectively and seamlessly migrate to next-generation Carrier Ethernet/IP networks. For more than 50 years, customers have relied on Aviat Networks' high performance and scalable solutions to help them maximize their investments and solve their most challenging network problems. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Aviat Networks operates in more than 100 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.aviatnetworks.com or connect with Aviat Networks on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Aviat Networks, Inc.