Siklu, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative and KC Digital Drive Announce Gigabit Project Using Fiber-Like Wireless

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the 2016 Gigabit City Summit, Siklu Communications, Ltd, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI), KC Digital Drive, Next Century Cities and a host of other partners are excited to announce an innovative project to bring gigabit Internet speeds to local residents and institutions in the UNI footprint and in the city's historic East Side. Using hybrid fiber-wireless technologies – connecting to the existing fiber backbone provided by KC Web – this project will bring wireless gigabit service to the community beginning this May.

This project is a continuation of Siklu's commitment to bring communities online and, the partnership with KC Digital Drive and UNI will help revitalize the east side of the city. Consistent with Kansas City's innovative approach to piloting multiple fiber solutions in search of the right fit for every neighborhood, the coalition is exploring how Millimeter Wave (mmWave) wireless technology can effectively supplement wireline connectivity. This technology extends the reach of existing fiber and will bring gigabit services to some of Kansas City's oldest buildings and underserved communities.

The project will provide free service to some homes, even where wireline is available, to help serve as an onramp to the Internet by eliminating a cost barrier to getting online. The project will also provide immediate connectivity to some underserved buildings and locations while creating a sense of community ownership over the network. Critically, the project will teach members of the community how to install and maintain the network, building skills and leading to job opportunities in a growing field.  

"We believe that connectivity helps empower communities and lets Kansas City continue our growth as a gigabit leader," said Dianne Cleaver, executive director of UNI. "While blessed with an abundance of fiber, even throughout the east side, we still face barriers to connecting individual homes and critical community anchors. Siklu's technology will provide affordable gigabit connections throughout the UNI area, including the 95-year-old Historic Lincoln Building, the Mutual Musicians Foundation, several churches and the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Alliance among other sites."

Siklu is a world leader in making radios that use mmWave spectrum frequencies that can transmit multiple gigabit capacity reliably and without interference or congestion. These radios can be attached to building facades, rooftops, poles and other points in the community to create a wireless fiber-like extension of physical fiber.

Siklu's technology enables a longstanding effort to bring gigabit wireless to Kansas City's east side. UNI has been leading this effort with critical support from several members of the KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion, including W.E.B. Dubois Learning Center, Connecting for Good, and Reconciliation Services. Additional community support has come from 1102 Grand, the William T. Kemper Foundation, Center City Neighborhood Association

"Siklu is proud to work with KC Digital Drive, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative and our other partners to show how we can light up communities," said Izik Kirshenbaum, Founder and Chairman of Siklu. "Our hybrid fiber-wireless technology helps communities access the benefits of the internet at gigabit speeds, in a fraction of the time and cost of some traditional deployment methods. We look forward to working with more U.S. cities in the months to come, helping them complete their race to get a gigabit."

ABOUT SIKLU
Siklu delivers a diverse range of products with up to multi-gigabit capacity millimeter wave wireless connectivity operating in the 60, 70/80 GHz bands. Its millimeter wave technology is the prime choice of leading integrators, service providers, municipal authorities and mobile network operators worldwide. With maximal availability and minimum footprint, thousands of carrier grade units delivering interference-free performance have been successfully deployed. Siklu's innovative all-silicon design has dramatically reduced prices and effectively opened the market for ultra-high capacity wireless links. Swiftly integrating with street-fixtures or rooftops to provide reliable connectivity solutions, the price-competitive radios have proved to be ideal for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, fiber-like and futureproof connectivity. Ensuring the unfailing operation of bandwidth intensive applications, Siklu brings the Gigabit promise to homes and businesses alike. For additional information visit www.siklu.com.

SOURCE Siklu Communications, Ltd

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