A new level of integration: Netro Corp. announces AirMAN3000 wireless ATM access concentrator; Industry's first customer premises-based multiservice access with wireless trunking for voice, ATM, and frame relay traffic.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 1997--Netro Corp. today announced the AirMAN3000(TM) wireless Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) access concentrator, the newest member of its family of wireless solutions for ATM and Frame Relay (FR) telecommunication infrastructures.

The AirMAN3000 is the first ATM-based customer premises solution to combine wireless access with voice, data, ISDN, LAN, Internet and multimedia traffic concentration. AirMAN3000 lets service providers utilize the power of wireless ATM or FR access links to offer their customers a new class of cost-effective, high-performance solutions.

While traffic demands continue to grow, last-mile access from the carrier to the end-user is a problem for both service providers and their customers. Carriers must provision a wide range of equipment to support customers who demand a variety of voice, data and multimedia services. Installing, integrating, and maintaining this equipment is difficult and expensive.

AirMAN3000 enables telecom service providers to cost-effectively upgrade from voice into the rapidly growing Internet and broadband data markets. AirMAN3000 reduces network costs in two key ways:

-- Advanced concentration and compression technologies conserve expensive bandwidth

-- Wireless trunking capabilities reduce local loop access charges.

AirMAN3000 consists of an integrated wireless solution that provides scalable bandwidth from 19.2 Kb/s to 8 Mb/s for the seamless transmission of voice, data, and video across a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) over distances up to 20 kilometers. AirMAN3000's space-efficient chassis consolidates multiple types of traffic on a single ATM-based platform through its integral Voice/Data Module (VDM), Ethernet/Token Ring router, and the industry's first ATM/FR compatible Wireless Trunk Module (WTM).

Cisco's Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS(TM)) is an integral part of the AirMAN3000, providing a powerful suite of routing and protocol support. Applications for AirMAN3000 include wireless connectivity for corporate/campus networks as well as customer premises-based solutions for direct access to a service provider's point of presence.

AirMAN3000 offers advanced network management options including Netro's integral AirView application, native SNMP, and compatibility with Cisco's IOS. In addition, AirMAN3000 provides seamless interworking with AirMAN2000, Netro's wireless access node that operates in Frame Relay, ATM, or transparent mode at 38 GHz, 26 GHz and other ETSI frequency bands. All AirMAN products feature fiber optic quality of service which is guaranteed by Netro's patented ATM/FR Engine and advanced Forward Error Correction technology that protects traffic integrity.

"AirMAN3000 is an integrated end-to-end solution for voice, ATM and FR-based network access that future-proofs customer investments by allowing them to cost-effectively groom traffic from their premises to the Wide Area Network," said Gideon Ben-Efraim, Netro's CEO. "AirMAN3000 is ideally suited for deployment by both Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) or by end-users in private corporate networks."

"The combination of advanced router technology with wireless trunking lets end-users bypass expensive local loop access charges while providing high performance and quick payback," said Dave Passmore, the president of Decisys Inc., a Virginia-based network consultancy. "This product lets carriers easily extend ATM quality of service for voice and data from their ATM WAN backbone to the customer's premises across a wireless link."

Netro Corp., a private company founded in 1994, is a leader in the design, manufacture, and global marketing of wireless ATM/Frame Relay telecommunications systems. For more information, contact Netro Corp., 3200 Coronado Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA 408/654-7500; http://www.netro-corp.com.

CONTACT: Netro

Mike Brozda, 408/654-7562

[e-mail]

Tony Fisch, 818/501-6608