Alvarion(R) Ltd. announced the company's Carrier-Grade Wi-Fi solution has been deployed to provide Wi-Fi coverage to support use of warehousing and distribution applications at the Port of Eilat, Israel. The Port of Eilat manages seven open-air parking lots as "bonded warehouses" which hold up to 40,000 cars on behalf of local car importers. As part of a larger project to upgrade the Port's information technology systems and to better manage the inventory in these parking lots, a private Wi-Fi network was installed through which the Port staff can track vehicles with wireless RFID technology.

The network enables the Port staff to know the status of each vehicle, its exact location in one of the Port's parking lots and other information necessary in order to release the vehicle from the bonded warehouse. As often happens with large scale logistical and distribution centers that are built outside city centers and consequently suffer from poor cellular coverage, the Port of Eilat required a secure, reliable and stable wireless network to handle sensitive information and that would not fail in harsh windy desert-like conditions where temperatures in the summer can reach 45degC (113degF). Also, the Port's seven parking lots are located on different levels, creating challenging NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) conditions.