Powerwave Provides Infrastructure to Support Wireless Access at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Helping Alleviate Service Interruptions During Busy Summer Travel Season.

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- As the Number of Travelers Passing Through the Airport Increases During the Summer Months, the State-of-the-Art Indoor Distributed Antenna System Provides Wireless Carriers with the Ability to Meet Increased Demand for Wireless Voice and Data Services

With the height of the summer travel season underway, a next-generation indoor distributed antenna system (DAS), developed and implemented by Powerwave Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PWAV), is providing wireless carriers serving Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport with the ability to offer wireless voice and data services to an estimated 100,000 travelers who will pass through the airport daily during the months of July and August.

Offering one of most extensive lines of antennas in the world, and a proven track record for deploying wireless infrastructure solutions at major airports around the globe, Powerwave's in-building wireless backbone solution at Sea-Tac provides the scalability required to meet carrier demands for high system availability of cellular and PCS services during peak and off-peak travel seasons, as well as Wi-Fi and Evolution Data Only (EvDO) connections for travelers who want to check e-mail and connect to the Internet as they pass through the airport.

Since the system became operational in early 2005, Powerwave has conducted extensive evaluation of end-user perceived metrics to assess coverage quality. The results show the system has exceeded designated quality targets, including bit-error rate, correlated signal strength (Ec/Io) and carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N) in 99 percent of the airport.

Based on multi-band antenna technology, the indoor DAS not only provides high-quality wireless signals inside the airport, but maintains Sea-Tac's stringent aesthetic requirements. In addition, carrier-dedicated equipment enables carriers choosing to use the system to operate completely independently by utilizing operator-dedicated remote hubs.

"By combining the flexibility of a common fiber optic network with the power of a robust operator-dedicated RF amplifier and a common antenna system, our multi-technology platform gives wireless carriers the opportunity to offer high-quality, seamless wireless phone and data service throughout the entire premises of Sea-Tac Airport and up to a radius of 250 feet around the facility," said Ronald J. Buschur, president and chief executive officer, Powerwave Technologies. "Wireless users can experience seamless connectivity without experiencing overloads due to high call volumes during peak network load times that often occur during the busy summer travel season, or poor signal in heavily traveled public areas throughout the facility."

Technical Specifications

The Sea-Tac system is comprised of triple-band cross-polarized antennas located throughout the 1,935,000-square-foot facility. Each antenna measures only 8 by 8 inches - meeting the airport's strict architectural guidelines. The system's other components, which reside outside of public view, incorporate a fiber optic network, radio frequency (RF)-to-optical conversion modules, RF point of interconnect and a system of repeaters.

The heart of the system features components from a single mode fiber optic DAS consisting of two main blocks, the Central Hub and the Local Hub; the Central Hub located close to the base station, and the Local Hub close to the service area.

These include:

--A Central Hub consists of two units, the passive RF Combining Module and the active RF/Optical Converter Module

--A Remote Hub consists of a repeater with dual direction amplifier cabinet housing the Optical/RF converter, RF and IF filtering and outputs to passive antennas

--Omni and directional service antennas

--Optional coax distribution between Central and Remote Hubs

The system provides substantial cost savings over other competing solutions due to fewer initial infrastructure requirements and maintenance routines, shorter installation times, and smoother technology upgrades.

Service and Support

Powerwave Technologies will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the distributed antenna system at Sea-Tac for at least 24 months. The recently completed Powerwave Technologies National Operations Center (NOC) in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide day-to-day operation, management and support of the system. The NOC staff performs ongoing optimization, operations, maintenance and repair of critical network elements including antennas and base station equipment. This service is supplemented with training for a client's internal network operations and support staff.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the eighth international airport to deploy the Powerwave Technologies distributed antenna systems. Other locations include Brussels Airport in Belgium; Vancouver Airport in Vancouver, Canada; Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Okla.; Norfolk Airport in Norfolk, Va.; Munich Airport in Munich, Germany; Toronto Airport in Toronto, Canada; and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

About Powerwave Technologies

Powerwave Technologies is a global supplier of end-to-end wireless solutions for wireless communications networks. Powerwave designs, manufactures and markets antennas, boosters, combiners, filters, repeaters, multi-carrier RF power amplifiers, tower-mounted amplifiers and advanced coverage solutions, all for use in cellular, PCS and 3G networks throughout the world. Corporate headquarters are located at 1801 E. St. Andrew Place, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Telephone: [phone]. For more information on advanced wireless coverage and capacity solutions, please call 888-PWR-WAVE (797-9283) or visit the company's Web site at www.powerwave.com. Powerwave, Powerwave Technologies and the Powerwave logo are registered trademarks of Powerwave Technologies Inc.