SkyPilot Newsletter :: July 2008

In This Issue

SkyPilot Lowers Broadband Wireless CPE Prices

SkyPilot has announced bundle pricing for SkyConnectors to help lower the price per subscriber for broadband wireless ISPs. Bundles are available in 40- and 120-packs with the per-unit retail pricing as follows:

SkyConnector Part Number	Frequency (GHz)	Maximum Power	Unit Retail Price	Unit Retail Price (40-Pack)	Unit Retail Price (120-Pack)
SP-4000	5.725-5.850	42.5 dBm	$599	$499	$399
SP-4200	4.940-5.150	42.5 dBm	$599	$499	$399
SP-4004	5.725-5.850	35.0 dBm	$549	$449	$349
SP-4100	5.450-5.725	35.0 dBm
SP-4300	5.150-5.450	35.0 dBm

As always, output power is regulated on a per-country and per-frequency basis. The maximum power noted above is the highest possible EIRP of each SkyConnector and each SkyConnector can be configured to match regulatory limits.

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SkyPilot Announces SkyExtender “Plus”

SkyPilot is introducing a new version of the SkyExtender, called, simply enough, the SkyExtender Plus. The SkyExtender Plus has a few specific hardware enhancements that are designed to help performance in harsher outdoor environments. These enhancements include:

Enhanced GPS Receiver – this new receiver, embedded in every SkyExtender Plus, improves GPS signal reception sensitivity by 10 dB, resulting in a stronger and more reliable GPS signal. SkyPilot has tested the improvements in production networks and proven the benefits in areas like "urban canyons" where GPS signals were often too weak to be reliable.
Higher Transmit Power – the SkyExtender Plus benefits from having an additional 3 dB gain in transmit power to help consistently establish high modulation links even over long distances. This additional gain gives the SkyExtender Plus a maximum peak transmit power of 30 dBm.
Improved Antenna Isolation – the SkyExtender Plus also improves the isolation between antenna sectors in the eight-way array. This isolation limits the effect of unwanted signals on adjacent sectors from impacting the reception of the intended signal on the sector in use. With up to 40 dB of adjacent sector isolation, the SkyExtender Plus provides better interference mitigation to both external and self-interference.
Improved Surge Suppression – to help in harsh lightning-rich environments, SkyPilot has improved the surge suppression within the SkyExtender Plus. The new surge suppression provides 100 amps of lightning protection as compared to 12 amps in the standard SkyExtender.

Retail pricing for the SkyExtender Plus products is below. Note that the SkyExtender Plus can be converted into a SkyGateway Plus through the SkyExtender<–>SkyGateway Conversion Key.

	SkyExtender Plus	SkyGateway Plus
Single-band (4.9-5.8 GHz)	$3,499	$5,499
Dual-band (4.9-5.8 GHz with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi)	$4,499	$6,499
Dual-band (5.4-5.8 GHz with 4.9 GHz Wi-Fi)	$4,499	$6,499
Tri-band (5.4-5.8 GHz with 2.4 and 4.9 GHz Wi-Fi)	$5,499	$7,499

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SkyPilot Lowers SkyAccess DualBand Price

As part of an on-going effort to lower deployment costs for service providers, SkyPilot has also lowered the retail price of the SkyAccess DualBand from $1,799 to $999. The SkyAccess DualBand is designed to be a low-cost option to deploy Wi-Fi HotSpots. With its integrated long-range directional 5 GHz backhaul, this new pricing allows service providers to tactically and cost-effectively locate 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi access points.

The new SkyAccess DualBand price is effective starting July 1, 2008.

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New 4.9 GHz SkyConnector for Public Safety Video Surveillance Projects

SkyPilot is adding a high-power SkyConnector for operation in the 4.940-4.990 GHz licensed FCC spectrum. The unit (SP-4204) meets the FCC high-power "M" spectral mask and carries a price tag of $999. Like all SkyConnectors, it connects to a wireless backhaul network consisting of SkyGateways and SkyExtenders operating in the 4.9 GHz spectrum and is designed for public safety applications like video surveillance, with network cameras attached to the SkyConnector’s Ethernet port. The retail price of the SP-4204 is $999.

Note that both the SP-4000 and SP-4204 are FCC certified to operate in the 4.9 GHz frequency band. The main difference is that the SP-4200 is certified under the low-power "L" mask and the SP-4204 is certified under the high-power "M" mask, resulting an additional 5.3 dB gain.

Part Number	Frequency (GHz)	Antenna Gain	EIRP (Peak)
SP-4200	4.940-4.990	17 dBi	28.9 dBM (FCC low-power "L" mask)
SP-4204	4.940-4.990	17 dBi	34.2 dBm (FCC high-power "M" mask)

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New SkyPilot Customer Service Programs

SkyPilot is also simplifying our customer service and support programs as noted below:

Service Program	Software Updates	Support Website	Email Support	Advanced Replacement Service	14x5 Phone Support	24x7 Emergency Phone Support	Response Times
None	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Bronze	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	24 Hours
Silver	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	8 Hours
Gold	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	2 Hours

The pricing on these customer service programs has changed. Instead of being based on a per-unit basis, the pricing is now a 1-year contract that covers a customer for their entire network(s). Pricing for the customer service programs is also separated into two tiers: one for customers with fewer than 250 nodes (all hardware including SkyGateway, SkyExtender, SkyAccess, and SkyConnector) and another for customers with 250 nodes of greater.

Program	“New Customer” Credit	Fewer than 250 nodes	250 nodes or greater
Bronze	($2,000) (first-year only)	$2,000/year	$5,000/year
Silver		$5,000/year	$10,000/year
Gold		$10,000/year	$20,000/year

"New Customer" Service Credit – for the first year as a SkyPilot customer, SkyPilot will provide a service credit of $2,000 that can be applied to Bronze, Silver, or Gold service contracts.

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