Aperto Networks Unveils WiMAX Portfolio.

CHICAGO -- PacketMAX(TM) Offers Network Operators Powerful Platform to Deliver a Range of Multi-tier Business and Consumer Services, including VoIP and Data

Aperto Networks, a leading WiMAX-class broadband wireless multiservice systems provider serving over 200 operators in 60 countries, is launching its PacketMAX broadband wireless portfolio and announcing trial customers at a SUPERCOMM press conference today. Aperto is also demonstrating PacketMAX system capabilities on the SUPERCOMM exhibit floor, in booth 12025C. The PacketMAX portfolio will provide carriers unprecedented range in the types and tiers of services and features it can now deliver to residential and business subscribers worldwide.

The PacketMAX system, based on an Advanced TCA (Telecom Computing Architecture) chassis, gives carriers the full benefits of a WiMAX Forum(TM)-certified ecosystem, a clear path to portability and mobility, powerful voice over IP features, and a common platform shared with Aperto's existing PacketWave(R) architecture. The company expects to conduct WiMAX Forum lab certification starting in July and begin limited production shipments for 3.5 GHz systems during the third quarter of 2005(a), followed shortly by 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, supporting all WiMAX Forum TDD profiles in all frequencies.

Operators have eagerly awaited WiMAX Forum-certified systems as they expect to benefit from widespread multi-vendor interoperability, unprecedented cost economies from mass-market volumes, enhanced standardized reach, speed and superior scalability. PacketMAX is delivering on this expectation.

"Aperto's PacketMAX systems deliver all of the patented innovations our customers value, including our best-in-class Quality of Service and our OptimaLink adaptation, while leveraging standardized silicon and physical layer as well as the flexible MAC layer we drove as leaders in the IEEE 802.16-2004 standards effort," stated Dr. Reza Ahy, CEO of Aperto Networks. "PacketMAX is solidly on track for WiMAX Forum certification, market trials and market delivery."

PacketMAX Product Portfolio

PacketMAX expands on the successful PacketWave product portfolio by providing a WiMAX-certified series of Base Stations and Element Management System:

--PacketMAX 5000 - an ATCA based Modular Base Station

--PacketMAX 3000 - a stackable Mini Base Station

--PacketMAX 2000 - a single-sector Micro Base Station

--WaveMAX - Element Management System

as well as a compatible and flexible range of WiMAX-certified Subscriber Equipment:

--PacketMAX 300 series - Business-Class Subscriber Station

--PacketMAX 200 series - Consumer-Class Subscriber Station

--Modular Options for Data only or integrated Voice & Data plus Wi-Fi

These new devices will have full service-level compatibility with the classic PacketWave systems, as they share the same provisioning model and identical networking features (NAT, Routing, PPPoE, DHCP, etc).

PacketMAX leverages ServiceQ(R) comprehensive Quality of Service capabilities, multiple service flows per subscriber and intelligent traffic classification features pioneered by Aperto. These capabilities enable better service differentiation and SLA compliance. The classifiers that specify and determine which IP packets relate to specific flows comply with the entire set of classifiers specified in the IEEE 802.16d standard, meaning that they support all services classes including best-effort, committed information rate (CIR) in both Real-Time and non Real-Time modes, and Unsolicited Grants Scheduling for delivering a constant bit rate (CBR) class of service.

In addition, PacketMAX and PacketWave are the only WiMAX-class systems on the market today which support the full 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz frequency range enabling licensed deployments across India, Australia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia, in addition to Europe and Latin America.

As with all PacketWave systems, Aperto's PacketMAX systems use the Time-Division Duplexing (TDD) scheme included in the 802.16 standard, which delivers high flexibility, unmatched spectral efficiency and operator ease of use. Operators simply software-select the center frequency of the desired channel and the channel width - no need to find dedicated, paired channels to ensure frequency separation, as is the case with Frequency-Division Duplexing (FDD). The TDD system can be flexibly configured for the most appropriate upstream/downstream ratio, enabling operators to most efficiently match their service model. Finally, TDD will be used for 802.16e portable and mobile systems, thus ensuring smoother coexistence and migration for WiMAX operators planning to deploy 802.16e networks in the future.

"We are very pleased with the breadth and flexibility of the Aperto PacketMAX offering," stated Carlos Morell, General Manager of Spain's largest wireless carrier and Aperto customer Iberbanda. "Aperto has created a choice of base stations to fit our variable deployment profiles across the market segments we serve. Aperto has also provided a highly capable Element Management system that enables us to scale our nationwide network. We look forward to being among the first to trial PacketMAX."

"TowerStream plans to take full advantage of the unified architecture in the PacketWave and new PacketMAX systems as we continue to roll out wireless broadband service to the top ten cities in the U.S.," stated TowerStream's president Jeff Thompson. "We have utilized PacketWave to effectively service hundreds of business customers in all six of our current markets, and expect the PacketMAX trials to offer even more flexibility and reliability to our offering. We also plan to leverage Aperto's common TDD-based wireless modules across multiple bands as they become available."

Powerful Features, Industry-Leading Performance

PacketMAX extends Aperto's well-established ability to offer carriers rapid ROI. The new systems are

--Designed for simultaneous delivery of multi-tiered data, voice & video

--Equipped with comprehensive QoS - ServiceQ delivers higher level functionality with unmatched intelligent traffic classification, 200 service flows per sector and up to 16 service flows per CPE, and

--Optimized for IP Voice - High packet-per-second throughput, very low latency, payload header suppression, intelligent overbooking, flexible packet classifiers, rapid activation/deactivation, simplified provisioning, heavy call volume processing (up to 10,000 simultaneous VoIP calls) dynamic channel allocation, extended VoIP classifier systems, and integrated voice ports

PacketMAX also offers the industry's most comprehensive IP networking functionality, through

--A wide range of IP-rich features, from best-in-class routing (WiMAX-compliant and beyond) to VLAN handling, enabling extensive IP services

--Scalable base station platforms that fit a range of service profiles, and

--Maximum link reliability, through Aperto's patented OptimaLink(R) Dynamic Per-Subscriber Link Optimization (7 adaptive link parameters per subscriber) and Automatic-Repeat-Request (ARQ).

Delivering on the scalability promise of WiMAX, PacketMAX supports 1 MHz narrow channels up to 20 MHz RF channels and speeds up to 55 Mbps per wireless channel, as well as a growing set of market-demanded broadband applications such as

--VPNs and transparent LANs

--Multiservice data, VoIP and video

--Disaster recovery and bandwidth on demand

--Backhaul of Wi-Fi hotspots, hot zones and cellular traffic

--Low-latency networked applications like Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

"We have the highest confidence in Aperto's PacketMAX architecture," said Mark Rodgers, president of US Wireless, the newest major carrier customer to announce deployment of Aperto's multiservice solutions. "These systems do everything that is specified by WiMAX, and more. We know and value Aperto's best-in-class QoS capabilities, which meet and exceed the standard and which are so critical to our business class service delivery and VoIP features. And since Aperto is among the first broadband wireless access systems companies to interoperate with other systems slated for certification, we know they are adept at the interop dynamic and will likely fare very well in the CETECOM labs. We look forward to starting our market trials with PacketMAX."

"Aperto's PacketMAX delivers well on the service provider criteria we've identified as features of a complete solution ," emphasized Peter Jarich, Principal Analyst with Current Analysis. "Multiple base station and CPE profiles combined with Aperto's track record of successful wireless deployments and a credible migration path to 802.16e should set an example of performance for others to follow."

About Aperto Networks

Aperto Networks is a leader in WiMAX-class multiservice broadband wireless access systems for global markets and a Board member of the WiMAX Forum(TM). The company was founded to provide breakthrough solutions to the bottleneck in last-mile broadband access, and is a founding board member of the WiMAX Forum as well as a founder and lead contributor to IEEE 802.16a/d and the ETSI-BRAN standards. Its PacketWave(R) system is a family of base stations, subscriber units, radios and antennas in 2.5, 3.5 and 5 GHz frequencies for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint deployment. PacketWave's scalability and patented technologies support new wireless builds and complement wireline broadband access networks. Aperto is already deployed in over 50 countries, meeting service provider needs for installation ease, IP-rich network functionality, cost effectiveness, rapid provisioning and interference resilience. For more information on Aperto Networks, go to www.apertonet.com.

(a) The WiMAX Forum stipulated that the first round of certification efforts would focus exclusively on 3.5 GHz systems and components. This is the most widely-utilized frequency in the world, although not yet authorized for commercial use in the US.