Former Nortel Executive Joins Maxima Board of Directors; Dr. Parviz Tayebati Adds Expertise in Optical Components to Second Generation Free Space Optics Company.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

Maxima Corp., developer of the first commercial free space optics (FSO) technology to overcome problems of bad weather and short distances plaguing first generation systems, has named Dr. Parviz Tayebati, former vice president of business development, Nortel Networks, Optical Components Division, to its board of directors.

Tayebati, a recognized expert in optical component technology, has also invested in Maxima as part of its recently funded $7.2 million venture capital financing round. Tayebati is a frequent speaker at national conferences on optical technology and widely published. He has 25 patents and pending patents in the areas of fiber optic communications devices and subsystems. He joined Nortel in March 2000 when it acquired Coretek, the tunable laser company he founded in 1994, for $1.43 billion.

"Parviz joins our board at an important juncture in Maxima history as we prepare to introduce the second generation of FSO, effectively solving the problems of unreliability from fog, dust, rain and clouds that plague the first generation," said James Plante, president and CEO of Maxima. "His proven business experience, technical expertise, and industry relationships will be invaluable as we begin product field testing with service providers worldwide."

"The scientific community and US military have known for decades that 10 micron is the best wavelength to use for FSO in Fog," said Tayebati. "After I sold Coretek to Nortel, I planned to start another company to pursue FSO at 10 micron, until I discovered Maxima. It had already made significant advances in commercializing the technology and established a powerful Intellectual Property position. Maxima is clearly positioned to be the eventual winner in this market."

Maxima 2nd Generation FSO technology uses long wavelength (8-12 microns) infrared light (LWIR) which can penetrate fog. First generation systems use 0.7-1.55 micron wavelength light, about the same size as a fog particle of approximately 1-micron, often resulting in distances of less than 200 meters in fog. The field tests will demonstrate that Maxima's 2nd generation optical wireless broadband technology can operate with 99.99% availability in all weather conditions over 1 to 4 kilometers, where the short wavelengths have limited range, scatter in fog and pose safety concerns for eyes.

Independent tests by the U.S. Air Force and numerous other institutions have shown significantly less attenuation in fog with 10-micron technology versus the earlier generation. Studies in numerous cities in the US have shown up to 10 times increased distance in fog over first generation technology. The long wavelength technology was originally developed for battlefield use by the military and been deployed in the world's most challenging environments.

About Maxima Corp.

Maxima was founded in March 2001 to develop and commercialize proprietary second generation FSO technology capable of solving the problems associated with the inability of first generation systems to function in inclement weather. The company has both patent protection and exclusive worldwide rights to underlying LWIR component technologies for use in second-generation FSO systems. Its management team and board have collectively introduced more than 200 telecommunications and optical products. Other investors include Hamilton Apex Technology Ventures, Forrest Binkley Brown and Marco Thompson, president of the San Diego Telecom Council.

About Free Space Optics

FSO is a wireless broadband technology that can be installed at one-tenth the cost of fiber optics and be deployed in one day without construction permits. It does not require spectrum licensing from the FCC and does not cause frequency interference. The technology provides bandwidth from 1.55 megabits per second to 2.5 gigabits per second and operates over free spectrum. Analysts estimate cumulative market size for FSO over the next five years at up to $10 billion annually for last-mile access and $17 billion for the backhaul market.