SaskTel Deploys High Performance Westell DAS Interface Panels

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Canadian regional wireless service provider sees substantial network and economic benefits from Westell DAS Interface Panels

AURORA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Westell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTL) (“Westell”), a leading provider of telecommunications equipment for wireline, wireless and home networks, today announced that a Canadian regional wireless service provider, SaskTel, has successfully deployed Westell’s new Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Interface Panels in its network. SaskTel is installing the 1900 model of the Westell DAS Interface Panel. This model is only one Rack-Unit (1RU) in height, making it a significant space saver, while covering the full Personal Communication Service (PCS) band.

Since installing the Westell panels, SaskTel has been able to significantly improve the network performance and the operational efficiency of the associated Distributed Antenna System. The Westell panels are installed between the base transceiver station (BTS) and the head end of the DAS, providing proper power levels for the downstream DAS equipment. The Westell 1900 DAS Interface Panel enables SaskTel to monitor and adjust both the “transmit” and “receive” power levels without disconnecting from the BTS or the DAS head end, keeping the DAS consistently up and running at required service levels.

“The Westell DAS panels were very simple to install and have measurably improved the performance of our DAS system,” said Daryl Godfrey, Chief Technology Officer at SaskTel. “At a 1RU height, this panel design is clean and compact, which is critical since equipment space is at a premium in most DAS installations. Additionally, these panels are providing very low PIM levels and a larger range of adjustable attenuation – 0 to 50dB – than we had with our previous solution.” PIM, or passive intermodulation distortion, must be low to ensure minimal interference and maximum performance of the BTS.

The Westell DAS Interface Panels are capable of handling up to 80 watts of input power into a single port from the BTS, and because they are environmentally hardened – with an operating range of -40 to +65°C – they may be used in both indoor and outdoor DAS installations.

Distributed Antenna Systems are increasingly being used by wireless service providers to create a small cell infrastructure that relieves the burden on the macro cellular network. Common deployment venues include stadiums, convention centers, hospitals and college campuses where smartphone use is particularly concentrated. Additional information is available at: http://www.westell.com/products/das-interface-panels.

About Westell

Westell Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, designs, distributes, markets and services a broad range of carrier-class communications equipment, including digital transmission, remote monitoring, power distribution and demarcation products used by wireline and wireless telecommunications service providers, industrial customers, and home network users. Additional information can be obtained by visiting http://www.westell.com.

Westell Technologies, Inc.
Investors / Trade / Media
Brian Cooper
Chief Financial Officer
630.375.4740
BCooper@westell.com

Source: Westell Technologies, Inc.

Released August 30, 2012