KOHL CONSULTING EXAMPLES

MAJOR US SERVICE PROVIDER – WiMAX/WiFi EXPERIENCE

   KOHL brings in-depth engineering knowledge, an array of on-site, field experience and a record of successful problem solving.  During the period 2000 through 2004, KOHL provided a team of Senior Consultants to support a major US Service Provider in the research, test, field trials, and network design for alternative access technologies. These technologies included Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Microwave, Free Space Optics (FSO), and Broadband over Power Line (BPL), and involved working with several large investor-owned utilities.  The following is a summary of the WiMAX services provided by KOHL:

1.  KOHL facilitated the interfaces between WiMAX equipment and complimentary equipment; BPL, Wi-Fi, Fiber, T1, etc.

2.  KOHL helped the customer determine which products met its requirements, and, which had the ability to comply with the upcoming standards.

3.  KOHL carried out extensive research of diversity antenna deployment for WiMAX nodes;

4.  KOHL applied directional and diversity antenna technology and conducted Wi-Fi neighborhood propagation testing associated with placing of Wi-Fi nodes at Broadband over Power Line medium voltage nodes.

5.  KOHL managed the site selection, and WiMAX tower location logistics, supervised tower mounting, devised powering mechanisms and made field propagation measurements during the 2002-2005 trials.

   Perhaps one of the most valuable offerings by KOHL is the ability to evaluate the claims of various vendors.  We simply know what questions to ask, and understand the state of art sufficiently well to determine the probability of vendor claims being realized, and have the knowledge and capability to perform physical testing to prove our hypotheses. 

   KOHL consultants evaluated competing WiMAX offerings of various vendors.  This included calculating expected sector antenna illuminating areas, mounting and aiming antennas, on-tower radio and feed line installation, propagation and coverage prediction, signal strength measurements and equipment performance evaluation.  KOHL ran experiments determining the effects of fog and rain attenuation on LOS, 60 GHz unlicensed radio path and compared its performance with free space optical transmission equipment operating over the same path.  As part of this effort, KOHL tested WiMAX equipment operating at 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz.

INCUMBENT TELCO- COMPARISON OF COMPETATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

  For an incumbent primary telephone company serving 6 Million customers, KOHL was asked to review a 5 year strategic analysis recently prepared by a Major consulting firm.  The consultant had recommended that Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) cable be installed throughout the service area; with the rationale that video would be the driver of the system use.  Our review was that the internet was a more important driver over the near term and that ADSL would provide the optimum approach at that time.

  As a result the customer’s Board of Directors approved our approach.  The customer did not have to tear up the streets of the city, and saved hundreds of millions of dollars.

  Using a combination of skills from some of the people who had designed Pacific Telesis’ HFC system, the inventor of ADSL (a KOHL Associate) and a host of business specialists, we were able to posture the customer at the optimum cost and technology, while developing a longer range plan for video using VDSL.

  The Executive Vice President of the company, called KOHL the “best consultant” with whom he had ever worked.

CLEC, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM (OSS)

  KOHL was retained by a Competitive Local Exchange Company (CLEC) in building a full service voice and data network across 33 cities simultaneously.  KOHL reviewed their business plan, network architecture and made recommendations.  KOHL was then retained to provide consultants to create a Program Management Office to develop the network build-out plan and select and implement the OS System (complete with provisioning, billing, customer care and the creation of services).  KOHL was able to identify and solve the customer’s four mission-critical problems:

(1) Integrate their systems with the incumbent RBOC’s systems in 33 cities

(2) Implement a training program for a workforce expanding from 30 to 1000 over 12 months.

(3) Create requirements for the network architecture and integrating disparate OS systems.

REGULATORY INTERFACE

   KOHL consulted with FCC on regulations relevant to rulemaking activity and in the coordination of input major US Service supplier to this intended to influence FCC policy.  KOHL established a rapport and dialog with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA, which regulates federal government spectrum use) manager directing the agency's reporting efforts.  KOHL also keeps a continuing dialogue with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) the largest association representing spectrum utilization interests of FCC-licensed amateurs, radio frequency coordinators, operators, and related NTIA-administered Military Affiliate Radio Systems (MARS) operations managers.

MAJOR SERVICE SUPPLIER ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY, EMC

•    KOHL coordinated a major US supplier’s research team by:

•  Visiting installed BPL systems and assessing RF radiation patterns and FCC compliance

•  Assuring the customer’s team recognized and dealt with potential interference and interference susceptibility issues

•  Developing measurement capabilities to determine system compliance with FCC regulations

•  Conducting test range experiments to assess (and critique) the efficacy of FCC testing procedures

•  Establishing a positive dialog with the ARRL Labs’ chief regarding potential interference issues between broadband providers’ operations and Amateur Radio Service licensees

HIGH-FREQUENCY (HF) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE (RFI)

   Although WiMAX systems are reported to be friendlier to High Frequency interference, because they eliminate the transmission across the Medium voltage systems, a provider must be armed with the capability to evaluate any spectrum interference.  KOHL has performed a significant amount of work with the FCC and a major US Service supplier testing for RF interferences (See RF Testing Experience) as well as benchmarking baseline interferences.  This experience is invaluable to support any WiMAX or hybrid WiMAX BPL system.