In the race to provide a fast ramp to the information superhighway, ResTech Services is out
front as a leading-edge Internet Service Provider with highly competitive offerings for
residents and businesses throughout Madison, Wisconsin. As home of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, the bustling metropolis includes a variety of apartments,
condominiums and campus-area housing that accommodates many of the university’s
40,000 full-time students. Founded in 2000 as a technology arm of Steve Brown Apartments, a property management company with
strong ties to the university, ResTech earned a stellar reputation for simplified ordering, highly responsive customer service and
unprecedented levels of bandwidth capacity.
In 2005, ResTech began working with other local property management firms to expand its business and expedite the rollout of
high-speed metro Ethernet. Currently, the company provides economical digital voice and data services to more than 5,000
multi-dwelling units, serving more than 10,000 customers. As early adopters of innovative technologies, ResTech relies heavily on
high-speed wireless links to keep pace with ever-increasing bandwidth requirements, streamline service deployments and reduce
operating expenses. In doing so, the fast-growing ISP competes very effectively against AT&T, the local exchange carrier (LEC) and
cable operator Charter Communications.
According to Bryan Schenker, director at ResTech Services, the ISP has always been highly motivated to find new technologies and
management solutions that enable it to stay a few steps ahead of the incumbent operators. “We implemented a switched network
with a high-speed wireless backbone, which enabled us to slash hardware costs, scale fast and offer better levels of service,” he says.
“Getting Internet service is as easy as plugging into an Ethernet jack and ordering service over the phone or electronically. There’s no
need for a truck roll and no two-week delay waiting for service. Our customers really appreciate our same-day, hassle-free service
delivery—which is a stark contrast to their experiences with the phone and cable companies.”
CHALLENGE
In 2002, ResTech installed Proxim Tsunami QuickBridge 5GHz wireless links to
backhaul traffic to its network backbone. At the time, the ISP provided 4Mbps
Internet service—faster and more affordable than the competing services offered
by the cable company. By 2005, ResTech had increased network capacity to meet
escalating bandwidth demands with a 10Mbps Internet service and VoIP offering. In
doing so, the ISP continued to use a variety of 5GHz wireless links to backhaul traffic
and connect different properties to its network via multiple points of presence (PoPs)
around town.
Over time, however, it became clear that ResTech needed more capacity, especially as
its tech-savvy customer base started downloading large amounts of streaming video.
The growing popularity of video services such as YouTube and Joost would soon
cause a strain on ResTech’s backbone unless substantially more bandwidth was added. “Approximately 50 percent of our customers
are students, the most demanding Internet audience,” explains Schenker. “Napster started the need for more capacity, but video is a
whole new ballgame. We had to anticipate the latest trends, including the eventual reality of IPTV.”
In planning for sufficient network capacity, ResTech also had to take into consideration the need to accommodate the annual influx of
students. “When 5,000 students all move in at the same time, we have a surge in bandwidth needs,” adds Schenker. “We need to move fast
in activating new accounts without impacting network performance for everyone else.” As ResTech’s network grew, the ISP realized that
5GHz wireless links wouldn’t provide the required bandwidth. They also were beginning to experience 5GHz frequency saturation issues in
the downtown portions of the network, making it increasingly difficult to avoid RF interference.
SOLUTION
In seeking more robust wireless links to support its ever-expanding network, stepping up to gigabit wireless seemed the logical next step,
so the team initiated research into this rapidly emerging product segment. ResTech was familiar with Terabeam’s heritage using 60GHz
radios and knew that Terabeam’s parent had purchased the assets of Proxim. A Google search also revealed that BridgeWave was a pioneer
in providing 100Mbps and Gigabit Ethernet solutions in both the 60GHz and 80GHz frequency ranges.
After reviewing the technical specifications of the products,
ResTech was most impressed with BridgeWave’s GigE wireless
links as well as the company’s fast response to questions about
co-locating radios and antenna polarization. “Since we have
more than 20 5GHz radios on our downtown rooftop, we had
some concerns about installing multiple radios on a single
site,” says Schenker. “With BridgeWave’s radios, however, the
extremely narrow antenna beamwidth eliminates any
interference concerns, while also making the links inherently
more secure than other wireless technologies.”
Equally appealing was the fact that BridgeWave’s gigabit
wireless links are highly cost-effective, offering GigE
performance at a 100Mbps radio price point. The products also
are well known for ultra low latency, which was a major
criterion for ResTech. In guaranteeing high service levels,
ResTech needed a jitter-free solution for VoIP as well as
anticipated rollouts of IPTV.
BridgeWave’s GigE wireless links provided the capacity, reliability, low latency and expandability ResTech wanted in a high-speed network
backbone. As a result, the company purchased its initial links in 2005 and continued to extend its backhaul capabilities with the assistance
of Wincomm Technologies Corp., a Solon, Ohio-based distributor of products, systems, solutions and services for a variety of networking
applications including wireless and WiMax.
| “With BridgeWave’s high-performance
GigE wireless links, we can be much
more agile than our competitors. This
future-proof solution lets us
continually scale our network and
services to deliver the highest quality
of affordable voice, data and video
services over the Internet. There’s no
end in sight to what we can do.” - Bryan Schenker,
Director,
ResTech Services |
BENEFITS
ResTech has installed two BridgeWave FE60 100Mbps and three GE60 GigE links, with plans for additional deployments. The 100Mbps
radios provide end-point service delivery at two properties while the GigE radios aggregate and backhaul traffic to the network core. Link
installation has proven to be fast and easy, thanks to an intuitive user interface and a simple alignment tool for aiming the antennas. “The
narrow beam-widths are amazingly easy to line up,” says Schenker. “We hardly ever spend more than 10 to 20 minutes on fine-tuning.”
The narrow beams also eliminate interference concerns about co-locating multiple links on the same rooftop.
The high-capacity BridgeWave radios have performed reliably, enabling ResTech to maintain “five-nines” network availability while
facilitating rapid expansion. With plenty of headroom now to accommodate network growth, ResTech is gearing up to offer a 20Mbps
Internet service while also testing new, bandwidth-intensive video capabilities.
In particular, the low-latency, jitter-free links support VoIP and set the stage for emerging IPTV services. The ISP is testing IPTV over
BridgeWave’s GigE links; early results are positive, with no signs of image degradation or pixilation. As a result, ResTech is planning a
pilot IPTV project by year-end with widespread distribution forecasted for 2008. “We’re pretty excited about the prospects of IPTV as it
removes the cable company’s last competitive advantage,” says Schenker. “If demand accelerates as projected, we expect to buy another
20 or so BridgeWave links in the next year.”
ResTech also is exploring other ways to leverage its ample network capacity, including working with Steve Brown Apartments on a
state-of-the-art IP video surveillance and card-key access system for a new, on-campus property. All the traffic for the video and new
access system, along with a 50Mbps Internet service offering, will ride on the ISP’s BridgeWave links.
BridgeWave’s high-speed GigE links are proving instrumental in helping this thriving ISP retain a significant lead over competing
service providers while producing a complete ROI in less than a year. “With BridgeWave’s high-performance, cost-effective GigE wireless
links, we can be much more agile than our competitors,” concludes Schenker. “This future-proof solution lets us continually scale our
network and services to deliver the highest quality of affordable voice, data and video services over the Internet. There’s no end in sight
to what we can do.”
CUSTOMER:
ResTech, an Internet Service Provider based in Madison, Wis.,
www.restechservices.net
INDUSTRY:
Telecommunications
CHALLENGES:
• Escalating bandwidth demands and rapid network expansion required increased
capacity.
• Spectrum saturation with large installed base of 5GHz radios caused
interference problems.
• Expedited service delivery to heavy student population created operational
challenges.
• Planned IPTV rollout required ultra low latency network performance.
SOLUTION:
Two BridgeWave FE60 100Mbps and three GE60 GigE wireless links
CHANNEL PARTNER:
Winncom Technologies Corp., a Solon, Ohio-based distributor of products,
systems, solutions and services for a variety
of networking applications including wireless and WiMax.
BENEFITS:
• Substantial bandwidth gains set the stage for expanded Internet offerings,
including IPTV and IP video surveillance.
• Simplified installation using intuitive user interface and simple tool for
adjusting antennas.
• Narrow antenna beam-widths eliminated all interference concerns and highly
reliable performance ensures “five nines” availability.
• Future-proof solution provides competitive edge while achieving ROI in less
than a year.