Iospan Wireless Successfully Completes Field Trials of the World's First MIMO-OFDM Non-Line-of-Sight Fixed Broadband Wireless System.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2002

Next-Generation Wireless Technology Allows Carriers to Deliver

Multi-Megabit Data Rates through Plug-and-Play Indoor CPE 

MIMO-OFDM-enabled AirBurst(TM)is the Only Technology to Meet IEEE 

802.16.3's Requirements for Non-Line-of-Sight Operation

Iospan Wireless, Inc., the leader in wireless broadband multiple antenna technology, today announced the first successful field demonstration of a Non-Line-of-Sight (Non-LOS) fixed wireless network utilizing Multiple Input, Multiple Output -- Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) technology. This highly advanced wireless technology -- the first and only one to currently meet all six of the IEEE's standardized channel models for Non-LOS -- enables carriers to overcome the primary technical limitations common to DSL, cable and first-generation wireless broadband services by offering residential and business customers a reliable, multi-megabit access service via a user-installable desktop Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) unit.

Iospan's field trials demonstrate the ability of Iospan's MIMO-OFDM-enabled AirBurst(TM) technology to deliver symmetric multi-megabit data rates between a 50-foot cellular base station antenna and a dictionary-sized, indoor home CPE located nearly four miles away in a stucco-walled apartment, representing the home of a typical user. The trials of AirBurst(TM) technology are being conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area using the 2.5 - 2.686 GHz Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) frequency band. The demonstration includes multi-megabit user speeds, customer-installable indoor CPE and a Non-LOS connection to the base station.

Statistics from the trials announced today include peak individual downlink rates of over 13.6Mbps using Iospan's 2MHz channelization. This equates to over 40Mbps on a typical 6MHz MMDS channel. These demonstrations were conducted at distances of up to 4 miles from the base station, although it should be noted that this 4-mile limit is a function of Iospan's spectrum license and base station height, not the AirBurst technology. With a base station antenna of 100 feet, as opposed to the 50 foot antenna used in today's trials, Iospan's AirBurst technology could successfully deliver these speeds at distances of up to 10 miles. These speeds and distances translate into drastically reduced infrastructure costs for the service provider and multi-megabit data rates for the individual subscriber. Demonstrations also include several streaming videos running simultaneously to standard laptop computers utilizing an 802.11b wireless local area network.

"This is a critical time for the broadband wireless industry," said Kathy Hackler, vice president and chief analyst, telecommunications for Gartner Dataquest. "To be successful in this market companies must demonstrate that they can enable the cost-effective deployment of next-generation fixed wireless services that not only meet service providers' requirements, but also lay the groundwork to enable portable and mobile broadband wireless services."

AirBurst technology is designed to allow service providers to quickly deploy broadband wireless services for both residential and business applications that will successfully compete with existing broadband technologies on both price and performance. Iospan's AirBurst is based on a scalable, cellular architecture, that utilizes MIMO-OFDM to dramatically improve spectral efficiency through the use of smart antenna technology that extends coverage, increases capacity, and enhances Quality of Service (QoS). By doing so, AirBurst enables service providers to reduce the amount of infrastructure deployed while offering greater service coverage than current systems. This results in accelerated service rollouts, as well as tremendously reduced infrastructure costs, which include backhaul, cell-sight maintenance and base-station equipment. For the end-user it means simplified, easy installation, multi-megabit user speeds, quicker access to a variety of applications and ubiquitous availability.

"These trials mark a crucial milestone not only for the fixed wireless industry, but for broadband in general," stated Levent Gun, president and CEO of Iospan Wireless. "With AirBurst, Iospan has demonstrated for the first time a broadband solution that solves the fundamental challenges wireless service providers face in profitably delivering high-speed Internet access to the broadband market. MIMO-OFDM is truly the enabling technology for next-generation fixed broadband wireless access."

Iospan offers AirBurst reference designs, chipsets and board-level solutions to wireless OEMs interested in creating broadband wireless systems designed for the residential and small to medium-sized business markets. Iospan's MIMO-OFDM-enabled AirBurst is the only technology that meets all six of the IEEE 802.16.3's channel models for fixed wireless applications. These channel models provide fixed wireless service providers and vendors of broadband wireless access equipment with benchmarks for Non-LOS wireless equipment. Systems vendors looking for an edge in the highly competitive broadband wireless access market can use AirBurst to gain a time-to-market advantage over competitors.

Additionally, an FCC decision late last year that allows mobile use for a portion of the 2.5 - 2.686 GHz MMDS spectrum has created an enormous opportunity for service providers. MIMO-OFDM technology is widely recognized as a key technology for enabling mass-deployment in global wireless markets, and is also viewed as the most promising approach to substantially increasing the capacity and reliability of mobile systems. Service providers who deploy AirBurst technology now will have an easier integration path when the demand for portable and mobile broadband services surge.

Iospan is also collaborating with its AirBurst System Partners, including EMS (antennas), Powerwave Technologies (power amplifiers), Radia Communications (RFICs) and Remec MWIG (low-noise amplifiers), to create the next-generation of fixed wireless systems. These leading vendors understand the vital role they have in the deployment of next-generation fixed wireless, and are committed to working with Iospan to provide a complete technology solution to service providers.

Iospan Wireless plans to continue field trials of its MIMO-enabled AirBurst technology through early 2002, demonstrating the benefits of its technology to broadband wireless systems integrators, equipment manufacturers and wireless service providers.

NOTE TO EDITORS AND ANALYSTS: Members of the press and analyst community interested in learning more about MIMO-OFDM are invited to contact the company to arrange an in-person demonstration of Iospan's technology live from the site of their Bay Area field trials.

About Iospan Wireless

Iospan Wireless, Inc., a privately held company located in San Jose, CA, is a leader in developing, delivering, and enabling innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the company's innovative MIMO-OFDM-enabled AirBurst(TM) technology. AirBurst(TM) chipsets, reference designs and board-level solutions based on MIMO-OFDM will enable mass-deployment of wireless broadband services that provide wireline-like performance and reliability under pure Non-Line-of-Sight (Non-LOS) channel conditions, while offering new levels of profitability and faster time to market. For more information about Iospan Wireless' AirBurst(TM) solutions, visit our web site at www.iospanwireless.com or call 408/232-7500.