NEXTNET ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY'S FIRST COMMERCIAL DEPLOYMENT OF NEXT GENERATION NLOS BROADBAND WIRELESS ACCESS
MMDS SERVICE PROVIDER EVERTEK, INC. CONNECTS NORTHERN IOWA U.S. BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL SUBSCRIBERS; PLANS FOR EXPANSION IN 2002
MINNEAPOLIS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Jan. 10, 2002—NextNet Wireless, developer of the first non-line-of-sight (NLOS) broadband wireless access system,
with indoor, plug-and-play subscriber equipment, announced today, the industry's first commercial deployment of NLOS broadband wireless access services. MMDS service provider Evertek, Inc. has connected over 125 business and residential subscribers in Pocahontas, Iowa to NextNet's Expedience™ NLOS system during the company's first 30 days of service offering. Evertek holds the MMDS BTA licenses covering Northern Iowa, extending from Sioux City to Mason City, and intends to expand services with NextNet, throughout the region in the coming months.
"In the past, issues relating to line-of-sight and the high cost of deployment, have held service providers back," stated Roxanne Madson, Evertek general manager. The Expedience NLOS system has allowed Evertek to move quickly into business and residential markets that were previously unattainable. Chris Dodd, Evertek sales and Marketing Manager, stated, "The Expedience system is reliable, easy to install, and affordable. We are experiencing an overwhelming response from our customers, who report that they are enjoying excellent service, and are up and running within a matter of minutes."
Guy Kelnhofer, NextNet president and CEO stated, "We have been on an aggressive track to deliver commercial BWA systems, since first introducing the concept of NLOS plug-and-play broadband wireless in 1999. To date, there has been much talk in the industry relating to 'plans' for next-generation solutions. Quite simply, NextNet is beyond the planning stage. Our actions are centered around deployments."
"Today, only 10% of all U.S. residents have a high-speed Internet connection of any kind. We are honored to partner with Evertek, and pleased to report that the residents of Pocahontas, IA are now among the most connected in the Nation," Kelnhofer concluded.
About Evertek, Inc.
Evertek, Inc., founded in 1989, is wholly owned subsidiary of United Farmer's Telephone Company, founded in 1914. Evertek holds the MMDS BTAs for Mason City, Sioux City, and Fort Dodge, Iowa with towers that extend coverage into Eastern Nebraska and South Dakota. Evertek is the industry's first service provider to successfully deploy next-generation (NLOS) broadband wireless access services. The company is headquartered in Everly, Iowa. For more information, contact marketing@evertek.net or visit
http://www.evertek.net.
About NextNet Expedience
NextNet Expedience is the industry's first commercially deployed NLOS broadband wireless access system. The Expedience platform offers wireless service providers a means to deliver residential and business subscribers consistent LAN-like access speeds across the industry's greatest NLOS coverage area. The system's patented OFDM-based architecture can be deployed at one-third the cost of DSL or cable, making it the most profitable platform for mass-market delivery of portable broadband access services today. NextNet's Expedience system features indoor, plug-and-play subscriber units for cell radius' up to five miles, and convenient outdoor (bracket-mount) subscriber units for businesses and extended range cell radius' up to 20 miles. The Expedience solution is currently available for the MMDS (2.5 to 2.686 GHz) band, and is being leveraged to address other frequency bands and wireless applications under 6 GHz.
About NextNet Wireless
NextNet Wireless is a privately held company that develops non-line-of-sight broadband wireless access platforms that provide telecommunications carriers with solutions for rapid deployment of high-speed, two-way voice and data services over the "last mile" of the communications network.
