BeamReach Networks Receives Technology Award From Wireless Communications Association.

Business/High Tech Editors

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2001

Patented technology recognized for superior propagation

characteristics and unprecedented spectral efficiency

BeamReach Networks, a provider of broadband wireless access systems and technology, announced today that the Wireless Communications Association International, the leading association representing the fixed wireless industry, has honored the company with an advanced technology award.

BeamReach is one of four winners in the Technology Frontier category. The winners were chosen by an independent jury of business leaders, including representatives from leading service providers Sprint, WorldCom, XO Communications, and Metricom. The winners, who include broadband wireless service providers, educational institutions, and technology suppliers, are being recognized for their achievements in providing the most advanced technologies or the best broadband services in the industry. BeamReach and the other winners will be officially honored at an awards dinner at the WCA's 7th Annual Technical Symposium, January 17-19 in San Jose.

"We are very excited about the benefits our technology will bring to broadband wireless networks and very honored to have received this award," said Bob Kelsch, BeamReach CEO. "It is gratifying to have our technology recognized by leading carriers and engineering companies through the highly-respected WCA."

"The Technology Frontier category was an especially competitive category because of so many diverse and exciting technologies in this industry," commented Andrew Kreig, president of the WCAI. "Winners should be very proud."

BeamReach won its award for having developed a new, much more efficient technology for broadband wireless service providers operating in frequencies below 6 GHz. The technology has superior propagation characteristics and provides vastly more spectral efficiency than existing technologies. BeamReach has implemented its Adaptive MultiBeam OFDM technology that is a unique combination of OFDM, adaptive modulation techniques, adaptive antenna arrays, spectral diversity, spatial diversity, and TDD. This combination of technologies is what enables the tremendous spectral efficiency and propagation enhancements the BeamReach system has achieved. The improvements increase cell coverage 3 to 4 times, improve capacity 10-20 times within a given spectrum band, and allow service providers to operate in narrow spectrum bands, such as WCS and PCS bands, where other systems cannot. BeamReach was just awarded a major system patent for the key elements of its Adaptive MultiBeam OFDM technology.

About WCA & The Technical Symposium:

WCA is the major non-profit trade association for the fixed wireless broadband industry, with 435 member companies on six continents that represent the vast bulk of the world's leading carriers, vendors and consultants. WCA's Technical Symposium annually gathers operators who are using group action to provide guidance to vendors, standards bodies and regulators on technical issues that will be vital for successful BWA deployments. Details, registration and photos of honorees available through WCA's website: http://www.wcai.com.

About BeamReach Networks:

BeamReach Networks has developed and patented a new broadband wireless access technology that provides unprecedented spectral efficiency and capacity as well as vastly improved reach and coverage in non-line-of-sight environments. BeamReach is a privately held company based in Mountain View, California. BeamReach systems will be available first for carriers operating in the MMDS, WCS and 3.5 GHz bands and later for carriers operating at other frequencies. For more information, visit www.beamreachnetworks.com