Frequently Asked uestions...
- Q. How does HCL INFINET provide Wireless broadband services?
A. HCLI provides Last mile wireless broadband (Internet & VPN) services from its POPs across India. The provisioning of this last mile is done through HCL INFINET's WBB base stations located at each POP, which connect to the CPE installed at the customer premises. The CPE is a radio modem given to the customer on a 'right to use' model under wireless broadband services. At customer end following components complete the Wireless link - Directional antennae, Mast, Cable, Transceiver, indoor Radio modem (CPE). At our POP end the similar setup is there along with indoor point-to-multipoint BTS with sectoral antennae. Since HCL INFINET uses a licensed band spectrum to provide wireless broadband services, the equipments in that specific band need to be owned by the spectrum license holder (HCL INFINET), therefore the delivery of wireless broadband is a 'service. - Q. What is the Frequency band in which we provide WBB services?
A. HCL Infinet has been allocated a licensed frequency in 2.7-2.9 Ghz band, which is open for ISPs only. HCL INFINET operates on the licensed frequency spectrum allocated by Wireless Planning Commission (WPC) in the abovesaid band. HCL uses same frequency spot across the country for commissioning wireless links. HCL INFINET has been allocated multiple spots of "6 Mhz" to run the wireless broadband services from its nationwide Points of Presence. HCL INFINET also provides wireless broadband and RF links in 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 Ghz band . These products are supplied to customers who need to connect their locations through wireless links. - Q. What is WBB topology used to provide this system?
A. Wireless broadband services are primarily delivered in a point-to-multipoint topology where many CPEs (customers) connect to the BTS. The area covered by the Point to Multipoint links is 10-14 kms. HCL uses 120 degree sectoral antennas with Base Stations to extend connectivity to the CPE. However, depending upon the link capacity and distance we provision wireless services through point-to-point links in licensed frequency band. Point to Point links extend the wireless reach to over 25 to 30 Km. - Q. What is the wireless system (equipment) used to deliver WBB Services?
A. HCL Infinet follows a multi vendor strategy, we signed agreements with multiple wireless OEMs. The equipment to be installed for commissioning a particular link is decided after receiving the order. The factors that determine the CPE to be used are as follows:
- Base Station installed at the nearest POP
- Capacity availability in the existing BTS
- Features required
- Capacity requirement
- Distance coverage required
All radios used in our network terminate on the Ethernet Port of the router or switch at the customers premise. HCL can supply radios working in licensed as well as free band.
All links for delivering VPN and Internet connectivity are commissioned in licensed band
2.7-2.9 Ghz.
If the customer wants direct connectivity between his buildings the links are installed in free band of 2.4 Ghz or 5.8 Ghz.
- Q. What is the channel bandwidth used by our wireless equipments?
A. Channel bandwidth is the amount of spectrum space a particular wireless product occupies in a band.
WPC has allocated multiple spots of 6 MHz in 2.7 to 2.9 GHz band to HCL Infinet. The equipments installed, uses upto 5 MHz of channel frequency. The extra one MHz is used as the guard band to prevent interference from other service provider's links operating in the consecutive frequency spots.
The requirement of 5 MHz channel size, enables HCL to commission interference free links in free band of 2.4 or 5.8 GHz band. This is done by choosing the 5 MHz spot with least interference from the 80 Mhz spectrum available in 2.4 GHz or 50 Mhz spectrum available in 5.8 Ghz band. - Q. What are the security mechanisms incorporated in our Wireless broadband service delivery?
A. HCL Infinet offers Wireless Broadband services in a licensed spectrum, wherein no other party is legally authorized to operate in the spectrum allocated to us. The equipments used by HCL have inbuilt security features including Restricted polling response mechanism where every CPE has to be a part of the constant polling done by the base station and any unauthorized CPE cannot get access to the BTS. It also incorporates Multi-level user passwords and packet based encryption sequencing.