Collinear Networks and Lockheed Martin Announce Collaboration to Develop Global Wireless Data Transmission Technology

Silicon Valley-based Collinear Networks, Inc. (Collinear) is announcing a 2.5-year ongoing collaboration with Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin) to advance its plan to commercialize a worldwide high-capacity wireless transmission technology for telecommunications network operators.

Collinear has been working with Lockheed Martin Space Systems under an exclusive licensing and development agreement entered in June 2014 to commercialize a hybrid point-to-point wireless transmission product developed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems that incorporates innovative Free Space Optical (FSO) and Radio Frequency (RF) technologies. The agreement provides Collinear exclusive marketing and non-governmental sales rights on a global basis.

Global internet and mobile data usage is growing and existing data transmission technologies are challenged to address this growing capacity demand cost-effectively. Applications for point-to-point wireless transmission products include mobility, fixed and mobile infrastructure, Internet of Things, automotive, software defined networks and mobile and fixed wireless backhaul.

Collinear is integrating its networking technology with this hybrid solution, which Collinear expects will provide benefits in the areas of capacity and distance; network intelligence with an integrated switch to provide features that will support transition to new architectures, such as 5G and software defined networks; and low cost implementation when compared to existing technologies. 

Collinear plans that the technologies' intended size and weight will allow a single technician to install the technology into an existing network infrastructure. Collinear forecasts that the technology will supplement or replace existing wireless infrastructure, significantly increasing capacity while eliminating the need for highly expensive and challenging fiber deployment.

"We are extremely excited to announce this collaboration," said Collinear Founder and Executive Chairman John Drury. "Collinear and Lockheed Martin have been working together for a number of years to commercialize this technology, and Collinear is excited to bring it to market with break-through performance to both carriers and enterprise users."

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Collinear to develop this hybrid communications technology that leverages Lockheed Martin's heritage in RF and optical technologies with Collinear's experience in networking technology," said Rick Ambrose, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Executive Vice President. 

Pursuant to the licensing and development agreement, scientists and engineers at Lockheed Martin in Silicon Valley are collaborating with Collinear experts to complete product design. Collinear is targeting a commercial release in late 2017.

"Today is a great day for Collinear. We have announced to the public our collaboration with Lockheed Martin after 30 months of dedicated work. We look forward to bringing our products into the market to meet the growing needs of our customers by providing them the optimal choice of capacity over a distance that matters to them," said Dana Waldman, Collinear's newly named Chief Executive Officer.

Source: Collinear/Lockheed Martin release