Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi Deployed by Oi, Brazil's Largest Telecom Operator, for National Hotspot Infrastructure

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- FUTURECOMM -- Ruckus Wireless™ (Ruckus), a leading provider of carrier-class Wi-Fi systems for service provider and enterprises, announced today that its ZoneFlex™ Smart Wi-Fi solution has been selected and deployed by Oi, the pioneer in the provisioning of bundled services in Brazil, for a nationwide Wi-Fi hotspot service throughout Brazil.

Oi is using Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi to complement its existing mobile network by injecting needed capacity in high-traffic urban areas where data traffic can be offloaded to carrier-class Wi-Fi infrastructure. Oi plans to integrate its Wi-Fi network and services with its existing mobile infrastructure to offer subscribers a simple, reliable and seamless broadband experience.

Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi products were specifically designed for challenging, high-capacity wireless environments where reliable connectivity is essential. Unlike conventional Wi-Fi products, Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi access points integrate a patented, miniaturized adaptive antenna array that forms and directs Wi-Fi signals only where they are needed – constantly focusing and steering RF energy over the fastest signal path. This ensures higher data rates at longer ranges without any manual tuning, while extending the range and reducing the number of APs to cover a given area.

"There is huge potential to increase penetration and integration of telecom services in Brazil, and we view Wi-Fi as a strategic technology accomplishing this," said Pedro Ripper, Innovation and New Business director for Oi. "We have invested in Wi-Fi and view this technology as a complement to our existing mobile service offering. We also saw the need for carrier-class Wi-Fi equipment that would allow us to offer more reliable and higher speed Wi-Fi services and seamlessly integrate our hotspot islands directly into our mobile infrastructure in the future."

Because of its popularity, ease of use and high capacity, Wi-Fi is widely viewed as an essential technology in addressing the explosive growth of data traffic within Brazil. 

"When we decided to deploy outdoor Wi-Fi as both a public access and mobile data offload solution, we knew that performance in the dense and noisy indoor environments would be an issue," continued Ripper. "For this reason, we tested a number of different Wi-Fi vendors and found that the Ruckus ZoneFlex system delivered superior performance, coverage, capacity and immunity to noise."
 


Oi becomes the latest of several telecom operators to have standardized on Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi including Time Warner Cable, O2 Telefonica UK, BSKYB, Towerstream and Tikona Digital Networks.

"Oi has seen the future and understands the importance that Smart Wi-Fi plays in delivering a reliable, high-speed wireless connections to their subscribers wherever they roam," said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. "We are pleased that our products and technologies have proven to deliver the carrier-class connectivity essential to providing a 21^st century wireless experience to Oi subscribers throughout Brazil."

To address the growing demand for high-speed data services, Oi has deployed thousands of high-speed Smart Wi-Fi hotspots with aggressive plans to expand its branded broadband services and hotspot footprint using Ruckus ZoneFlex products in a variety of locations such as McDonalds, Starbucks, airports, hotels, business centers and other public venues.  Oi is also using Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi to offer managed Wi-Fi services to small and medium business throughout Brazil.

ABOUT OI
Oi is a pioneer company in the provision of bundled services in Brazil. Oi offers local and long-distance voice transmission, mobile telephony, broadband and pay TV.  In March 2012, the company had 70,8 million revenue generating units (RGUs). This total includes 44.1 million in personal mobile segment, 18.6 million in residential segment and 8.1 million in business/corporate segment. For the fourth consecutive year, Oi is part of the ISE - Corporate Sustainability Index portfolio of the BM&F BOVESPA, reflecting the company's commitment to social responsibility and corporate sustainability. For the second consecutive year, Oi is also part of the IC02 — Carbon Efficiency Index — of the BM&F Bovespa. http://www.oi.com.br

ABOUT RUCKUS WIRELESS
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Ruckus Wireless is a global supplier of advanced wireless systems for the explosive mobile Internetworking market. The company markets and manufactures a wide range of indoor and outdoor "Smart Wi-Fi" products for mobile operators, broadband service providers, and corporate enterprises.  Ruckus invented and has patented state-of-the-art wireless technology, such as adaptive antenna arrays that focus and direct Wi-Fi transmissions over the best signal path, automatically avoiding sources of Wi-Fi interference. These unique capabilities extend signal range, increase client data rates and ensure consistent and reliable distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over standard 802.11 Wi-Fi.

Media Contact
David Callisch
Ruckus Wireless
[email protected]
+1-408-504-5487

SOURCE Ruckus Wireless