Texas-New Mexico Power Deploys Exalt Microwave Backhaul Systems for Digital Network Upgrade

Native TDM and Ethernet Capabilities Enable Smooth Transition to IP


CAMPBELL, CA--(Marketwire - May 11, 2010) -  Exalt Communications, the company that is reinventing microwave backhaul, today announced that Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP), a community-based electrical power generation and distribution company serving more than 216,000 subscribers in Texas and 490,000 subscribers in New Mexico, has deployed Exalt microwave systems to upgrade its legacy analog microwave network to handle Ethernet as well as T1 traffic.

"Our old microwave systems were analog only, and we want to migrate to Ethernet over time," said Chris Dobard, SCADA & Communications Specialist at Texas-New Mexico Power. "The Exalt microwave backhaul systems make it easy for us to accomplish that because they support both native TDM and Ethernet, and because the Exalt management system makes the systems easier to configure and manage than other products we evaluated."

The telecommunications and IT engineering firm Lockard & White assisted TNMP with the design, equipment selection and implementation of the new systems. "Exalt microwave backhaul systems are competitively priced, they deployed without issue, and their performance has exceeded our expectations," said Tom Hendricks, Lockard &White senior project manager for the TNMP project.

Texas-New Mexico Power has deployed Exalt all-indoor microwave backhaul systems operating in the 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands. Each is configured to carry four T1 lines, as well as 10 and 30 megabits per second (Mbps) of Ethernet, respectively. They are part of a network that reaches half a dozen cities along the Texas gulf coast south of Houston, including Alvin, Brazoria, Lake City and Sweeney, and carries traffic from power distribution and generation plants back to the regional network operations center in Lake City. The network carries SCADA, protective relaying, two-way radio, IP telephony, and TDM traffic. Despite the area's susceptibility to hurricane-force winds, the Exalt systems have delivered completely reliable connectivity since deployment began in 2008.

"Ready or not, the world is migrating to IP. Companies like Texas New Mexico Power are under pressure to support IP-based Smart Grid initiatives like smart meters and substation automation, but they have reasonable concerns about how to accomplish this cost-effectively and on a practical schedule," said Amir Zoufonoun, president and CEO of Exalt Communications. "By building native TDM, native Ethernet, and mission-critical reliability into every Exalt microwave backhaul system, we deliver solutions that enable companies like Texas New Mexico Power to leverage their existing TDM infrastructure investments while they migrate to IP. This pay-as-you-grow functionality is invaluable to any network operator who wants to eliminate the high costs, business disruptions and support challenges often associated with migration to new technology."

The Exalt Microwave Backhaul Product Portfolio
All Exalt microwave backhaul systems offer guaranteed link availability, guaranteed throughput and low, constant latency. Systems are available in world bands from 2 to 40 GHz and in capacities from 10 Mbps to more than 1000 Mbps per channel, providing a range of options to fit countless network applications. Designed to enable a smooth transition to IP, they offer native support for both TDM and Ethernet, and are fully software configurable and upgradeable. For easy and secure management using third-party network management systems, Exalt systems support SNMP v1, v2c and v3. Data security is provided by available FIPS 197-compliant AES 128-bit and 256-bit encryption that adds zero latency to the transmission. To simplify installation and maintenance, all Exalt systems feature an embedded manual and most include a built-in spectrum analyzer.

About Exalt Communications
Exalt Communications provides next-generation microwave backhaul systems to service providers, government organizations and enterprises worldwide. Exalt systems are designed to solve the network bottlenecks associated with the growing demand for IP-based voice, data and video applications and the resulting migration from TDM to IP-based networks. With a flexible architecture and universal product platform covering multiple market segments, Exalt provides a full range of microwave radio systems that meet the demand for cost-effective and flexible alternatives to fiber and leased lines. www.exaltcom.com

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Pamela Valentine
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Exalt Communications
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408-871-1804 x351

Michael Schoolnik
Story Public Relations
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415-674-3816