Puerto Rico is about to gain another wireless player. Aeronet, a broadband service provider, has entered into a long-term, de facto lease agreement on the wireless broadband spectrum which covers Puerto Rico. The company said that in September the FCC approved its long term lease in the 2.5 GHz band and noted the initial investment in the spectrum lease was more than U.S.$4 million. Aeronet plans to build a TD-LTE network for business and wholesale services in three phases.
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In a statement, Gino Villarini, president of Aeronet, said that the company had joined an elite group of operators in Puerto Rico as a new spectrum holder in the 2.5 Ghz band, noting that industry leaders AT&T and Sprint also hold licenses in this spectrum band.
With the spectrum access provided by the FCC, Aeronet will expand its services by utilizing the exclusive 2.5 GHz band for backbone and customer access. According to Villarini, the immediate plan is to use the spectrum for backhaul and last mile access for customers. Currently, Aeronet is conducting equipment tests on high capacity Point-to-Point equipment from various vendors. Future plans include using the band for a 4G TD- LTE-Advanced deployment following the industry trend for higher capacity networks.
Villarini told RCR Wireless News that phase one of the plan will focus on the establishment of a macro cell network in Puerto Rico’s biggest cities for fixed and nomadic broadband. “Phase two is the expansion of the macro network into other areas of the island while phase three will be the densification of the network using small cells,” Villarini explained. “We are currently in talks with various manufacturers, and the budget for the phases has not been established yet.”
In 2011, Aeronet made a U.S. $1.5 million investment to upgrade its network. More investments will be made in 2012 with plans for additional capital investment in 2013. Currently, Aeronet’s services include broadband access, dedicated Internet access, and Metro Ethernet.
Earlier this year, Aeronet introduced 100 Mbps broadband service to Puerto Rico’s local market. The service uses microwave technology from several manufacturers including the European SAF Tehnika.
