The partnership will help make broadband more affordable and
accessible for unserved communities in rural areas of the U.S. and
globally
REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, Redline
Communications (TSX:RDL) and Microsoft Corp. announced a new
partnership that will help address the rural broadband gap using TV
White Space technology. Redline, a leader in private wireless
networks, will provide its Virtual Fiberä radio technology in the
TV White Space band to Microsoft Airband Initiative partners.
Together, Redline and Microsoft's partnership will help make
broadband internet more affordable and accessible to unserved and
underserved customers in rural areas in the United States and globally.
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New cloud services and other technologies make broadband
connectivity a necessity to start and grow a small business and to
take advantage of advances in agriculture, telemedicine and
education. It is a vital part of 21st century infrastructure. Yet,
more than 19.4 million Americans living in rural areas lack access
to broadband and miss out on the opportunities that connectivity
provides. According to a study from Boston Consulting Group, a
connectivity model that uses a combination of technologies,
including TV White Space, can reduce the cost of extending
broadband coverage in rural communities. TV White Space is an
important part of the solution, creating broadband connections in
UHF bands and enabling communication in challenging rural terrains
and highly vegetated areas, all while protecting broadcasters and
other licensees from harmful interference.
This partnership is part of Microsoft's Airband Initiative,
which aims to close the broadband gap by extending access to 2
million unserved people in rural America by 2022, using a mix of
technology solutions, including TV White Space.
"Our work with Redline will increase the availability of
competitively priced TV White Space technology, enabling internet
service providers (ISPs) to provide access to customers at an
affordable price point," said Paul
Garnett, senior director of the Microsoft Airband
Initiative. "This availability and utilization of TV White Space is
absolutely critical to closing the broadband gap. This partnership
will bring rapid evolution to the technology, making a real impact
on real lives."
"With its Virtual Fiberä technology, Redline has been leading
the TV White Space market and has been active in digital divide
projects for almost a decade," said Rob
Williams, CEO at Redline. "In discussions with
Microsoft, we realized that we shared the same vision for
approaching the rural broadband gap, and we each possessed critical
components to the solution. This partnership with Microsoft will
help us address the digital divide more effectively in the U.S. and
around the world."
In addition to the partnerships with companies like Redline,
Microsoft's Airband Initiative invests in partnerships
with ISPs and other telecommunications companies, introduces
innovative solutions for rural connectivity, and provides digital
skills training for people in newly connected communities.
About Redline Communications
Redline Communications (TSX:RDL) designs and manufactures
powerful wide-area wireless networks for mission-critical
applications in challenging locations. Redline networks are used by
Oil & Gas companies onshore and offshore, Mining companies on
surface and underground operations, by municipalities to remotely
monitor infrastructure, and by specialized telecom service
providers to deliver premium services. Thousands of businesses
worldwide rely on Redline to engineer, plan and deliver ruggedized,
secure and reliable networks for their IoT, voice, data and video
communications needs. For more information
visit www.rdlcom.com.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital
transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an
intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every
organization on the planet to achieve more.
Note to editors: For more information, news and
perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center
at http://news.microsoft.com. Web links, telephone numbers and
titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed.
For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact
Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts
listed at
http://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.