Allen Telecom's radio-over-fiber technology powers mobile communications at Olympics

Tekmar Sistemi's fiber-optic based wireless indoor and outdoor communication system allows the more than 15,000 athletes and millions of spectators attending the Olympic Games to use their mobile phones from anywhere in the sprawling Olympic complex.

Allen Telecom Inc. today announced that the Tekmar Sistemi fiber-optic based mobile communications system, BriteCell, which was installed for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, has exceeded all expectations. Hundreds of thousands of mobile phone calls have been successfully connected since the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games. The system was designed and installed by Allen Telecom's Australian sales and turnkey service subsidiary.

According to press releases, on the opening day of the Olympics over 500,000 wireless calls were made from Olympic Park venues. The volume of mobile phone calls connected inside the Olympic stadium demolished the previous Australian record.

The massive Olympic project required a multi-standard in building and pico-cell wireless cellular infrastructure that was capable of handling millions of calls during the Olympic events. The solution involved the installation of multiple layers of wireless in-building and external pico-cell coverage systems that could handle both 900MHz and 1800MHz digital cellular networks. All three GSM operators in Australia can share the wireless system. More than 500 remote units were required to complete the project.

A unique feature of the BriteCell system is that RF frequency can be allocated when and where it is needed. Considering the number of Olympic visitors and the fact that they move from venue to venue, allocating capacity where it is required is essential for uninterrupted communications.

The system was designed so that all radio signals are provided from a concentrated base station site, and are distributed to the venues via fiber-optic cables and then re-transmitted at low RF (radio frequency) levels to provide tailored coverage where needed with minimal interference and high capacity.

Edited by John McKnight
Assistant Editor, Wireless Networks Online