Broadband Wireless Internet Forum Visits London for Inaugural European Open Meeting.

Business/Technology Editors

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2000

BWIF, the Broadband Wireless Internet Forum, established to promote industry standards for the broadband wireless sector, is holding its inaugural European open meeting at the Langham Hilton Hotel on 30 January 2001.

BWIF European Marketing Subcommittee, Chairman, Chris Cabot said: "Through our series of meetings in the US over the past few months, BWIF has already made significant progress in defining and deploying a standardised solution. As a global organisation, which is set to make an impact on the broadband wireless industry worldwide, we welcome the opportunity bring the debate to a European audience."

BWIF was formed in the first half of 2000, and held its first meeting in August in Denver, followed by a second meeting in Dallas in October. Its most recent meeting was held in December over a two-day period in San Diego, California, at which members outlined an ambitious advocacy program aimed at setting industry standards for wireless access to the Internet, streaming audio and video and voice communication. "Industry leaders are coming together under the BWIF umbrella because they understand that unified standards will reduce everyone's cost and speed adoption of the next generation of high speed communications," said Ender Ayanoglu, BWIF's chairman.

Information regarding the European Open Meeting on 30 January can be accessed at www.BWIF.org. The meeting will be open to all industry participants registering in advance registration.

In addition to the BWIF meeting, Forum members will also be presenting information about the organisation and its goals at several upcoming industry events. These are the Wireless Communications Association's Technical Symposium, "Xtreme Wireless Technology", 17-19 January in San Jose, California and a conference at the Broadband Wireless World Forum in San Francisco, 19-21 February 2001. Information on the conferences is available at www.wcai.com and www.broadband-wireless.com respectively.

The BWIF Board of Directors has also adopted a new "Advisor" membership category for fixed wireless service providers and operators in order to expand industry input into the standard setting process. Advisor members will be able to participate in the Forum's activities and provide the Forum with assistance in developing technical requirements.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Global Membership

The global membership of the BWIF has grown to 38 companies who are actively participating in the activities of the Forum, and working toward market implementations of the BWIF specifications. The BWIF Membership includes: Adicom Wireless, Agilent Technologies, Analog Devices, Andrew Corporation, Bechtel, Broadcom Corporation, BroadTel Communications, California Amplifier, CelPlan Technologies, Cisco Systems, Inc., Correlant Communications, DragonWave, Fluor Corporation, Getronics, Intensicom, Inc., LCC International, Magnolia Broadband, Moseley, National Semiconductor, nBand Communications, NetVoice, Oren Semiconductor, Pace Micro Technology, PipingHot Networks, Redback Networks, REMEC, RF Solutions, Signal Technology Corporation, Spike Broadband Systems, SR Telecom, Telaxis Communications, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Unique Broadband Systems, Inc., WaveIP, WFI (Wireless Facilities, Inc.), WJ Communications and ZyGate.

About BWIF

The Broadband Wireless Internet Forum (BWIF), is a program of the IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization (IEEE-ISTO). The standard setting work of the Forum is based on utilising Vector Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (VOFDM), BWIF's technology foundation for the development of fixed broadband wireless specifications. The BWIF-approved Version 1.0 Specifications have been available since late August 2000 to BWIF members.

BWIF is an incorporated not-for-profit association of industry-leading companies. Members of BWIF are committed to drive product roadmaps that will lower product costs, simplify deployment of advanced services, and ensure the availability of interoperable solutions based on VOFDM technology. BWIF members agree to cross-license to other BWIF members the technologies required to implement the VOFDM specifications on a worldwide, royalty-free basis. The goal of BWIF is to facilitate cost-effective, broadband wireless access solutions, with industry leading performance and reliability for compelling end-user applications such as high-speed Internet access, premium streaming audio and video content, and voice.