The project, first deployed in the fourth quarter of 2021, is part of the FCC’s Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF-II)
Illinois-based electric service provider Illinois Electric Cooperative (IEC) has selected Ericsson — by way of a partnership established with XtremeLTE in 2019 — to support the modernization of its networks in rural Pike County, Illinois. Together, the companies will provide Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to the rural community using the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum.
The project, first deployed in the fourth quarter of 2021 and part of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF-II), aims to improve capacity, coverage and user experience for IEC’s customers. The project deployed in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Because CAF-II performance requirements are “stringent”, a “robust evaluation process” was necessary when selecting vendors. IEC sought help from third-party engineering consultant firm Vantage Point Solutions to conduct a field test at XtremeLTE’s facility in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. At this field test, Ericsson FWA equipment’s capability in delivering a minimum 100 Mbps downlink and 20 Mbps uplink was successfully demonstrated.
“Illinois Electric Cooperative is taking a major step towards expanding connectivity and broadband services in areas where they are unavailable,” said Matt Haverfield, network operations manager for Illinois Electric Cooperative. “The selection of Ericsson, through their partnership with XtremeLTE, allows us to create private networks with superior uplink and downlink performance, and create an infrastructure that is affordable and enables reliable and quality communication services.”
Per the new agreement, XtremeLTE will provide Ericsson Radio System which includes future-proof product lines supporting CBRS, as well as the Educational Broadcast Services (EBS) and Private LTE capabilities that were previously dependent on Wi-Fi technology.
Ericsson will also supply its AIR 6488 Advanced Antenna System (AAS) solution to more than 50 sites across Illinois, which will enable beamforming and Massive MIMO, which the companies say are “powerful tools for fostering large-scale deployments in existing and future mobile networks.”
“CBRS in the 3.5GHz band will have big implications for building private LTE networks and in improving 4G and 5G service offerings,” said Bill Chotiner, vice president & chief technology officer for Customer Unit Regional Carriers, Ericsson North America. “This partnership allows us to continue bringing ultra-high-speed broadband to rural communities in America, and it comes at a critical time where service providers like Illinois Electric Cooperative are looking to scale their offerings, launch more use cases and protect existing services.”
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