Broadcom Case Studies LiveAir Networks: Regional Service Provider Innovating High-Quality, High-Speed Network Services to Rural Texas

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	LiveAir Networks: Regional Service Provider Innovating High-Quality, High-Speed Network Services to Rural Texas Broadcom

LiveAir Networks: Regional Service Provider Innovating High-Quality, High-Speed Network Services to Rural Texas

Broadcom

Technology Category	Networks & Connectivity - Ethernet
Applicable Industries	Telecommunications
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases	Public Transportation Management
Services	System Integration
Challenge	LiveAir Networks, a local wireless ISP launched in 2004 in Smithville, Texas, faced the challenge of providing high-quality internet connectivity to a sparsely populated area where it was too costly for major carriers to offer services. The company needed to scale its operations to deliver Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) access and bandwidth-intensive services, such as video and voice over IP. In 2012, LiveAir began building its 660-mile, monofiber, Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network—dubbed the TexasBone—that would allow the company to extend high-speed fiber optic services to rural homes. Since the TexasBone went live, LiveAir has experienced 300 to 400 megabits of new bandwidth demand every quarter. The company needed a cost-effective, easily manageable, and highly scalable network to deliver high-quality services at competitive prices. Read More
About Customer	LiveAir Networks is a local wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) that was launched in 2004 in Smithville, Texas. The company was established to provide high-quality internet connectivity to rural areas in Texas where it was too costly for major carriers to offer services. LiveAir Networks started with a single Point of Presence (POP) located next to a wireless tower with access to carrier fiber. As the company developed its wireless internet business, it realized the need to scale its operations to deliver Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) access and bandwidth-intensive services, such as video and voice over IP. In 2012, LiveAir began building its 660-mile, monofiber, Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network—dubbed the TexasBone—that would allow the company to extend high-speed fiber optic services to rural homes. Since the TexasBone went live, LiveAir has experienced 300 to 400 megabits of new bandwidth demand every quarter. Read More
Solution	LiveAir built its own infrastructure using deployment techniques that suited their business. They deployed small Point of Presence (POP) that can use commodity computing devices to move data. Each time they added a new POP to the network, they bought the lumber and supplies at the local hardware store, built it in their warehouse, and trucked it to the site. This approach allowed them to grow the network at a fraction of the typical construction costs and redirect more resources into the network. LiveAir's TexasBone network includes 10 POPs on a 660-mile ring around the state of Texas and serves 45,000 users. The microwave portion of the network includes 60 microwave POPs with high-capacity microwave rings between those, which all connect back to the Brocade fiber network. Inside of each TexasBone POP is a Brocade® MLXe-4 Series Core Router with a multiport 10 GbE interface module. The Brocade MLX Series Router helps LiveAir meet massive bandwidth demands, achieve greater network virtualization, and deliver small business cloud services using a smaller infrastructure than traditional carrier networks. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - Ethernet

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Public Transportation Management

Services

System Integration

Challenge

LiveAir Networks, a local wireless ISP launched in 2004 in Smithville, Texas, faced the challenge of providing high-quality internet connectivity to a sparsely populated area where it was too costly for major carriers to offer services. The company needed to scale its operations to deliver Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) access and bandwidth-intensive services, such as video and voice over IP. In 2012, LiveAir began building its 660-mile, monofiber, Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network—dubbed the TexasBone—that would allow the company to extend high-speed fiber optic services to rural homes. Since the TexasBone went live, LiveAir has experienced 300 to 400 megabits of new bandwidth demand every quarter. The company needed a cost-effective, easily manageable, and highly scalable network to deliver high-quality services at competitive prices.

About Customer

LiveAir Networks is a local wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) that was launched in 2004 in Smithville, Texas. The company was established to provide high-quality internet connectivity to rural areas in Texas where it was too costly for major carriers to offer services. LiveAir Networks started with a single Point of Presence (POP) located next to a wireless tower with access to carrier fiber. As the company developed its wireless internet business, it realized the need to scale its operations to deliver Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) access and bandwidth-intensive services, such as video and voice over IP. In 2012, LiveAir began building its 660-mile, monofiber, Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network—dubbed the TexasBone—that would allow the company to extend high-speed fiber optic services to rural homes. Since the TexasBone went live, LiveAir has experienced 300 to 400 megabits of new bandwidth demand every quarter.

Solution

LiveAir built its own infrastructure using deployment techniques that suited their business. They deployed small Point of Presence (POP) that can use commodity computing devices to move data. Each time they added a new POP to the network, they bought the lumber and supplies at the local hardware store, built it in their warehouse, and trucked it to the site. This approach allowed them to grow the network at a fraction of the typical construction costs and redirect more resources into the network. LiveAir's TexasBone network includes 10 POPs on a 660-mile ring around the state of Texas and serves 45,000 users. The microwave portion of the network includes 60 microwave POPs with high-capacity microwave rings between those, which all connect back to the Brocade fiber network. Inside of each TexasBone POP is a Brocade® MLXe-4 Series Core Router with a multiport 10 GbE interface module. The Brocade MLX Series Router helps LiveAir meet massive bandwidth demands, achieve greater network virtualization, and deliver small business cloud services using a smaller infrastructure than traditional carrier networks.

Impact #1	LiveAir offers a full complement of services. The residential fiber network offers 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps services at prices ranging between $35 to $75 per month. Businesses have access to the same services as well as IP voice services.
Impact #2	Large business services provide dedicated fiber connections and bandwidth for hospitals, school districts, and governments. LiveAir also sells access to other carriers and ISPs, enabling them to reach customers that they would not otherwise be able to serve.
Impact #3	LiveAir is growing rapidly, gaining 30 to 50 customers per month. The company is expanding its fiber network to more rural communities with fiber and hybrid fiber wireless technologies. It also is expanding its wireless footprint and capacity to deliver 50- to 100-megabit solutions over wireless to rural areas.

Impact #1

LiveAir offers a full complement of services. The residential fiber network offers 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps services at prices ranging between $35 to $75 per month. Businesses have access to the same services as well as IP voice services.

Impact #2

Large business services provide dedicated fiber connections and bandwidth for hospitals, school districts, and governments. LiveAir also sells access to other carriers and ISPs, enabling them to reach customers that they would not otherwise be able to serve.

Impact #3

LiveAir is growing rapidly, gaining 30 to 50 customers per month. The company is expanding its fiber network to more rural communities with fiber and hybrid fiber wireless technologies. It also is expanding its wireless footprint and capacity to deliver 50- to 100-megabit solutions over wireless to rural areas.

Benefit #1	Delivered 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps services at highly competitive prices to rural consumers and businesses, gaining 30 to 50 customers per month
Benefit #2	Future-proofed the network to enable easy scalability up to 100 GbE when needed
Benefit #3	Simplified manageability for cost-effective delivery of business private cloud services

Benefit #1

Delivered 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps services at highly competitive prices to rural consumers and businesses, gaining 30 to 50 customers per month

Benefit #2

Future-proofed the network to enable easy scalability up to 100 GbE when needed

Benefit #3

Simplified manageability for cost-effective delivery of business private cloud services

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Overview

LiveAir Networks: Regional Service Provider Innovating High-Quality, High-Speed Network Services to Rural Texas

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit