Telecom Networks - Wireless Data Infrastructure
Main contact
Neil Harmes
Address
Postpoint 5.15
Telephone House
104 Newhall Street
Birmingham
West Midlands
B3 1JX
Telephone
0800 3288077
Fax
0800 3891835
URL
www.bt.com/frameworkcontracts
Service details
BT’s RF technology portfolio includes: a) WiFi b) Solutions for cell based, thick client, thin client and 4G Wifi (Blanket WiFi rather than cell) and point-to-point external connections. c) Outdoor Point to Point, Point to Multipoint RF d) Connection speeds from 54Mb to 400Mb for links as straightforward as bridging two building to complex multilayer multi-bridged point-to-multipoint service delivery.e) MESH – Outdoor RF (unlicensed). f) Laser/FSO – Unlicensed - MRV Laser. g) Microwave – Licensed – MNI Microwave. h) Satellite – Licensed. BT is determining its roadmap with WiMax. Testing and trial deployments at city level have been completed and trial hardware includes Alvarion, Navini and Alcatel. BT supports and promotes a wide range of wireless applications. Home-based personal wireless DSL is offered by BT Wireless Home Hub, whilst for larger in-building/campus requirements it offers a range of wireless LAN/WiFi infrastructure products and solutions. Its Openzone business is one of the UK’s leading providers of public Wi-Fi services, currently offering 7,800+ UK hotspots. BT has already built larger ‘wireless city’ wireless networks in Westminster and Cardiff, and is enabling more UK cities. BT has worked with a number of UK community broadband initiatives, and for mobile users, its Transcomm business delivers a high-availability secure wireless data network used by UK customers including a number of emergency services organisations. We utilise radio, laser and microwave for “last mile” connections between its points-of-presence and customer premises in substitution of fixed line, copper or fibre infrastructure, or access in remote or otherwise uneconomical areas to reach. It deploys GSM networks for homeworkers through private APN, and multi-tiered networks with fixed line and RF or FSO back-up connections.
Business applications supported include (but are not restricted to): a) RFID b) Asset Tracking c) Workforce enablement d) Vocera Voice e) Voice over WirelessLAN f) Guest Access g) Fusion h) Corporate Fusion i) Multi-bearer roaming.
Solutions include Mobility engines and intelligent bearers capable of utilising multiple transport paths or binding like channels or disparate services into single higher bandwidth channels. Bearer types provided and utilised include: a) GPRS/GPRS+ b) UMTS c) HSPDA d) DVB-H e)802.11h/n/a/b/g f) 802.16e/2006 g) Satellite h) Ethernet i) DSL j) Fibre k) SerialRecent examples include: The managed Vocera solution enables instant wireless communication controlled by users with naturally spoken voice commands. Ideal for hospitals and other in-building or campus environments where mobile workers need to stay in contact to perform their jobs. ‘Corporate Fusion’, helps to improve workforce productivity. The service provides users with a dual-mode mobile handset that enables them to make calls over internal Wi-Fi and GSM networks. Calls can be seamlessly handed between the networks, using the fixed Wi-Fi infrastructure where possible to minimise call charges. RF technology portfolio includes services offering a range of bandwidths and resilience options, including: WiFi – Unlicensed, 2.4 GHz and 5GHz (802.11a/b/g indoor, 802.11b/g outdoor). Solutions for cell-based, thick client, thin client and 4G Wifi (Blanket WiFi rather than cell) and point-to-point external connections. Outdoor Point to Point, Point to Multipoint RF – Lightly Licensed/subscriber licensed, 5.4GHz, 5.8 GHz (802.11h/n). Connection speeds from 54Mb to 400Mb for links as straightforward as bridging two building to complex multilayer multi-bridged point-tomultipoint service delivery.MESH – Outdoor RF (unlicensed) mesh-style radio for services from campus to cityin scale, using multiple radio frequencies including 2.4/5.4 & 5.8 Ghz.Laser/FSO – Unlicensed - MRV Laser. The TereScope™ family of Free-Space Optics (FSO) products provides low-cost, high-speed wireless connectivity for a variety of last-mile applications, operating at data rates from 1.5 Mbps to Gigabit speeds.Microwave – Licensed – MNI Microwave. 6-38Ghz Licensed spectrum radio offering ATM speeds, advanced physical distances for quality and guaranteed delivery.Satellite – Licensed. A mobile satellite system can deliver a complete solution to include internet access, data transfer, voice calls and video conferencing. Service speeds range from 384 Kbps to1540 Kbps download speed and 128 Kbps to 512 Kbps upload.BT can provide any of the wireless technologies to back-up other services. The services can themselves be backed-up with alternative wireless technologies, or by the provision of fixed copper or fibre-based services delivered by BT.Installation and Commissioning: - offer extensive capability in the design, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of wireless infrastructure networks. Wireless infrastructure networking - an integral part of including its UK network of Openzone Wi-Fi public access hotspots.End-to-end solution for its customers, including the installation of masts, satellites, base stations, antennae and access points. Components not within BT’s range of capabilities, will partner with reputable companies to supply those elements.BT will always strive to achieve the best solution for its customers; use partners to install equipment where it is more efficient or cost effective to do so. E.g. where a cabling contractor might be contracted to mount wireless access points where cabling is being installed in order to reduce disruption to the customer. BT holds Gold Certified Partner certification with Cisco Systems, with specialisation in Wireless LAN, and Gold Partner accreditation with Nortel Networks.BT uses its expertise in radio network and IP infrastructure engineering to meet a range of security requirements related to wireless infrastructure, including the provision of wireless LAN implementations against the needs of the UK government security body, the Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG) through secure wireless LAN solutions.BT will take all reasonable steps to ensure that it and its partners follow all industry standards and local regulations. BT is fully engaged with local authorities in the provision of its core network throughout the UK, including requirements for both public and private wayleaves, and where necessary obtaining planning permission for new installations. BT seeks to balance the needs of its customers with those of local or central agencies to protect specially defined or protected areas or buildings to supply solutions. This may require innovative solutions. BT can engage support of specialists within its research facilities to resolve issues. BT will require the same level of commitment to adhere to industry standards and regulations from its partners or suppliers where any sub-contract is required.BT will establish a clear scope and set of goals for its WLAN implementation, which is essential to the successful and timely completion of the project. This is achieved though activities including but not limited to a customer needs analysis, survey, and service definition activity provided by one of its consultants in discussion with the customer. Such activities will identify the customer’s requirements for performance and robustness. This sets the scope for the WLAN implementation and establishes the goals for the detailed network and Radio Frequency surveys, subsequent design, implementation, and commissioning phase, which includes installation acceptance, WLAN optimisation, and integrity verification. Based on the deliverables from the design and implementation activities within a wireless installation, BT undertakes a commissioning phase which comprises the following three steps:-Installation acceptance test. Once installed the Wireless LAN is checked to confirm it is delivering the expected coverage and performance. This forms the verification that the solution is functioning as designed and also the basis for future maintenance and support activities.Optimisation. Occasionally it is necessary to make minor modifications to the configuration of a Wireless LAN infrastructure once it has been installed due to any changes to the RF environment that have occurred since the RF survey was completed.Integrity verification. Once installed, it is checked to confirm that the equipment is compliant with the required security policy for the network. Once completed, this commissioning phase results in a fully operational and appropriately secure Wireless LAN infrastructure for the customer to use. The deliverable from this phase of the installation and commissioning process are a completed acceptance test report and handover of an operational network.BT shall use its wide area networking and local area networking expertise to offer fully integrated solutions over single or multiple customer sites in support of its wireless networks.As a professional network and IT services company operating throughout the UK, BT is able to provide the necessary fixed infrastructure and connectivity to support wireless networks. It has the most comprehensive communications network in the UK, with around 5,600 exchanges, 680 local and 103 trunk processor units, more than 121 million kilometres of copper wire, over eight million kilometres of optical fibre, and the most extensive IP backbone network in the UK.The supply of telecommunications networks is at the heart of BT’s business activity, and also become a leading LAN supplier with the ability to design, install and support LAN solutions which include both wireless technologies and cabling. Leading LAN equipment providers- BT holds Gold Certified Partner certification with Cisco Systems and Gold Partner accreditation with Nortel Networks. Ancillary Support Services- BT offers pre-sales advice and guidance to its customers on the most appropriate solution to meet their wireless infrastructure and connectivity needs, with solutions consultants and wireless networking experts working alongside account management colleagues. Additionally, BT’s technical advisory service provides technical consultants, who are at the customer's disposal at agreed daily rates or pre-defined intervals on an "as needed" basis, to provide solutions that address specific needs. The technical advisory service provides LAN and wireless networking expertise in such areas as network survey and documentation, cable healthcheck and IP Telephony readiness reports, LAN performance and healthchecks, wireless LAN site survey and documentation, ad-hoc consultancy, and LAN assessments.BT approach to network design is based upon a four stage process, Assess, Plan and Design, Implementation, Manage and Maintain. By adopting this approach the agreed requirements captured at the Assess phase can be brought into service in a controlled manner which minimises risk for all parties involved. This approach can be adopted for Topology changes as well as application design changes. The assess stage may require a combination of services such as LAN Heathcheck or WLAN Security audits to verify the current status of the network before recommendations can be made in the Plan and Design phase. The Plan and design phase is where the high level design is agreed which then leads to the detailed low level design containing the configuration details. This service is chargeable and is based upon the manhours involved at the various stages BT offers a range of consultancy led services which can provide Wireless performance measurement. Services are non standard - each network has different requirements. They will define the scope of the requirements which includes the deliverable to ensure that true value form the exercise is achieved. The scoping document will contain a formal offer which will detail the approach, tool’s to be deployed and the duration of the measurement and an overview of the output format. Such measurements can be a one off or can be scheduled on a more regular basis to suit the customer. Where security is an issue then the assigned resource will be cleared to the appropriate level and will have access to experts familiar with the accreditation and documentation regimes in place. BT is able to offer a range of training options - ad hoc and formal. The ad hoc training can be structured around the customer’s specific needs and can either be delivered on site or hosted at BT’s premises. This type of training is usually delivered by our technical consultant team. These ad hoc sessions are not accredited or certificated in any way but are flexible in structure to fully address the agreed customer requirements which are captured in the scoping document. The formal training is based upon our training courses either delivered by its own teams or recognised training partners. Training can be offered to cover introduction of technologies, products through to detailed configuration training. Capacity Planning: BT’s Applications Assured Infrastructure (AAI) service can provide customers with a comprehensive understanding of their network infrastructure, including applications, interfaces and users. This data can be used to map information flows to business processes and to identify points of potential failure, enabling focus on the performance of particular functions of key applications at individual sites. Failure to understand these complexities can lead significant extra costs with minimal improvement. A common way of addressing application performance issues is to increase the bandwidth available. However, underlying problem is not addressed and increases the infrastructure costs.
BT offers solutions that optimise application performance end-to-end - from desktop to data centre - which means improved end-user experience for critical applications. Its AAI offers a suite of managed services that provides end-to-end visibility and control of processes across the enterprise. AAI reports enable customers to: Understand their existing environment to identify and remove inefficiencies. Understand the impact of changes to the infrastructure using modelling tools.Control critical applications by 24x7 analysis and real-time performance optimisation.Assure applications with end-to-end applications-based service levels.Work with their Service Manager to understand reports and impacts on the network.This provides visibility of information flows and infrastructure traffic, enabling reengineering of processes and reconfiguration of systems for optimum agility and performance.AAI delivers insight into what is happening on the customer’s network and how applications are performing, providing complete visibility of infrastructure. It allows application performance problems to be quickly identified and solved by isolating network from client and server so that service delivery targets are achieved. AAI can prepare the customer’s infrastructure for the world of consolidated and converged communications, ensuring that new applications rollouts like SAP or VoIP and server consolidation projects can be deployed without disrupting existing operations.BT’s AAI service is platform and network supplier independent, and offers ranges of packages to allow customer flexibility.Geographic Coverage: BT is able to offer appropriate services from its range of wireless data infrastructure solutions throughout the whole of the UK.