Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA has launched the first wireless local area network that conforms to the Digital European Cordless Telecommunications standard, due to be formally implemented next month. Compatible with both Ethernet and Token Ring, the product operates in the 1.88GHz to 1.9GHz frequency range, and conforms to Olivetti’s implementation of Open Systems Interconnection standards, the Open Systems Architecture. Maximum throughput is said to be 11.5Mbps at the hub, 1.2Mbps at each terminal and multiple hubs can be used to provide redundancy. The DECT standard specifies encryption techniques, claimed to deliver higher levels of security than cable-based local area networks. According to Olivetti, the product does not imitate Ethernet topology (indeed, it seems more closely related to the Token Ring topology), but it optimises access through an intelligent hub communicating with two to four cell management units. It is these that are responsible for the radio communication with the terminals. In terms of coverage, Olivetti claims that each cell has a range of approximately 7,500 yards square, but hubs can also connect directly to Ethernet and Token Ring networks. The product will be available to dealers near the end of the year but the list price has not yet been fixed.
