Mecca pilgrims benefit from world's largest indoor wireless coverage

Details: Category: Consumer Ecosystems; 15 April 2009; 7117 views

Communications in Mecca's King Abdul Aziz Endowment have been vastly improved since Powerwave and its Saudi Arabian partner ACES were selected by Mobily Saudi Arabia to deploy the world's largest wireless coverage within the towers currently comprising the Endowment...

Many of the 2.4 million pilgrims who visited the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia last December for the annual Hajj season - or those who reside in or visited the Al-Bait Towers at King Abdul Aziz Endowment - benefited from uninterrupted access to wireless voice and data services, accomplished courtesy of an in-building wireless coverage system designed by Powerwave Technologies. The deployment is the world's largest indoor wireless coverage system.

With more than 1.4 million m2 of built-up floor space, the King Abdul Aziz Endowment, located adjacent to Meccca's Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred or Grand Mosque) is considered the largest collection of buildings in the world.

In 2008, Powerwave and its Saudi Arabian business partner Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems (ACES) were selected by Mobily Saudi Arabia, the second largest wireless operator in the Middle East, to deploy a wireless coverage system inside four of the seven towers currently comprising the King Abdul Aziz Endowment. The initial phase of this multi-million dollar system deployment also includes wireless coverage for the venue's shopping centre which features 450 shops and restaurants, and six-floor underground parking garage. Phase II and Phase III, slated for completion in 2009, will bring wireless coverage to four additional buildings, and a skyscraper at the centre of the complex.

"Powerwave is honored to support wireless communications in this most sacred of venues," said Ronald J Buschur, President and CEO, Powerwave Technologies. "Not only does Mecca have the distinction of being one of the holiest places in the world, the complex is also phenomenal from an architectural perspective, being adjacent to the Grand Mosque Masjid Al-Haram, which is considered the world's largest building in terms of built space. And its wireless system, too, is distinctive - primarily in that it is the largest indoor wireless coverage system of its kind in the world.

"Due to an aggressive deployment timeline driven by the start of the holy month of Ramadan on September 1, 2008, the King Adbul Aziz Endowment has been by far Powerwave's most ambitious project to date," continued Ronald Buschur.

The system is based on Powerwave's Nexus FT high-power, triple-band fibre-optic repeaters, which feature a modular and robust design that supports multi-carrier and multi-band operation, and offers high capacity and long-reach signal distribution. By leveraging Powerwave Nexus FT repeaters, the coverage system at the King Abdul Aziz Endowment uses fewer repeaters and one-third fewer antennas than competitive solutions.

Other coverage system components, which reside outside public view, include a fibre-optic conversion module located within the centralised Base Station Hotel. Using a common fibre-optic and coaxial backbone among the operators, the system is highly efficient and provides substantial cost savings over other competing solutions due to fewer initial infrastructure requirements and maintenance routines, shorter installation times, and more streamlined technology upgrades.

Phase one of Powerwave's wireless coverage system deployment at the King Abdul Aziz Endowment currently supports GSM900, GSM1800 and GSM2100 commercial wireless frequencies.

* In addition to the King Abdul Aziz Endowment, Powerwave has expertise in creating wireless coverage systems for large venues such as the 55-floor high-rise Torre Mayor in Mexico City. Powerwave's product line supports all wireless network protocols and frequencies including Next Generation Networks in 4G technology such as WiMAX and LTE.

* ACES provides total solutions in the area of telecoms and IT in the Middle East. It specialises in implementing total solutions and turn-key projects in wireless and fixed communications, network monitoring and testing, and IT systems. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, ACES has more than 1,000 professionals, an R&D department, a technology centre, warehouses and offices in different parts of the Kingdom. ACES is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation.

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