Ergon Energy Corp. Ltd, an electricity distribution company in Queensland, Australia, is deploying Ceragon's advanced FibeAir solutions in a high-capacity microwave/fiber hybrid network spanning large parts of Queensland.

Ergon Energy provides high-voltage powerline infrastructure to distribute electricity to regional centers throughout Queensland. Equipment orders for the first two phases of the project are valued at more than $1 million in revenue.

Ergon Energy's new telecommunications network is based on a hybrid fiber/microwave architecture and supports a mix of SDH and IP data traffic. Ceragon's leading edge FibeAir platforms, including FibeAir 3200T all-indoor solution, the FibeAir 1500R and FibeAir IP-10, will help Ergon Energy enhance the capacity and functionality of the wireless portion of its network. Ceragon solutions will enable applications such as network protection switching, metering and intelligent monitoring, storage and disaster recovery and high-speed communication across multiple sites.

ATI Australia, one of Ceragon's leading distributors in Australia, performed the design and microwave equipment supply for this project.

"Putting in place a high-performance communication infrastructure is an essential ingredient in our maintenance of a world-class power distribution network," said Ergon Energy's Group Manager Telecommunications Andrew Deme.

Ergon Energy owns and manages the electricity distribution network in Queensland's regional areas. The company's powerlines stretch 150,000km, supplying electricity to more than 650,000 residential, industrial and commercial customers. Ergon Energy also owns and operates 34 stand-alone power stations that provide supply to isolated communities across Queensland not connected to the main electricity grid.

Ceragon's FibeAir solutions family allows for a wide range of implementations and service support.

• FibeAir IP-10 combines IP and TDM networking and feature an integrated  Ethernet switch, optional stackable radios with TDM cross-connect for   nodal site applications, and advanced service management and Operation  Administration & Maintenance (OAM) tools. Coupled with Ceragon's   powerful radios for high reliability and unmatched system gain, the   solution can be deployed in all-indoor, all-outdoor and split-mount   configurations. 
• FibeAir 3200T is a multi-radio All-Indoor solution featuring N+1  switching protection, embedded space diversity, and ultra high   transmission power. 
• FibeAir 1500R is ideal for a broad range of network applications with  an upgradeable capacity range of 45 to 622 Mbps.