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Exalt Communications, a provider of licensed and license-exempt microwave systems, said its microwave backhaul systems have been deployed by the City of Sioux Falls to support reliable, high-speed wireless connectivity among 20 public buildings. 

The city's already available fiber optic links could not withstand the winter temperatures that went as low as -30 Fahrenheit but Exalt' (News - Alert) microwave backhaul systems remained stable and unaffected making the city planners to rethink their annual spring efforts to repair freeze damage to its fiber lines.

Kim Hansen, network administrator at the City of Sioux Falls has commented that the millimeter wave radios they had been using just weren't reliable during moderate to severe rainstorms. Once they tried Exalt microwave systems, they found them to be completely reliable in all conditions.

The Exalt microwave backhaul systems they had deployed to connect City Hall and the utility billing department withstood the harshest temperatures and proved so reliable. The city has now replaced its millimeter wave links and built out a complete 100-megabit Exalt microwave backhaul network to support utility billing, VoIP, fire dispatch and administrative applications.

The systems were deployed by Calhoun Communications, an Exalt partner and wireless solutions provider in Sioux Falls. Calhoun initially deployed Exalt ruggedized, all-outdoor 5 GHz systems to support two links in the Sioux Falls network, and then installed Exalt 18 GHz split-mount radio systems to support all other links.

Amir Zoufonoun, president and CEO of Exalt has saidthat although fiber is often referred to as the 'gold standard' in network infrastructure, it obviously does not meet that standard for the City of Sioux Falls and other Exalt customers who deal with harsh climates and difficult terrain. In addition to the reliability and performance that meets - or beats - fiber, Exalt microwave systems come with another benefit to customers, too - a much lower cost of ownership. And that helps stretch budgets at a time when every dollar counts.