NextNet and Evertek Celebrate Two Year Partnership; 18 Months of Commercial NLOS Deployments
Evertek to Expand NLOS Coverage to 15 New Markets in 2003 Commencing in Sioux Rapids, IA
Minneapolis, MN and Everly, IA- June 9, 2003 -- NextNet Wireless, the industry's most widely deployed provider of non line-of-sight (NLOS) broadband wireless access systems, and telecommunications provider Evertek, Inc. announced today that they are celebrating a two-year partnership, including 18 months of commercial NLOS broadband wireless service in seven locations across Iowa. NextNet and Evertek launched the industry's first NLOS plug-and-play broadband wireless system in Pocahontas, IA in December 2001. Today, Evertek is delivering NLOS service in Pocahontas, LeMars, Kingsley, Sheldon, Holstein, Ida Grove and Spencer, IA, with penetration rates of 18-25%, covering over 20,000 potential subscribers. Evertek plans to expand its NLOS coverage to 15 additional markets in 2003, commencing in Sioux Rapids, IA on June 16.
Business and residential subscribers in Sioux Rapids can contract for high-speed Internet services via Evertek's website (www.evertek.net) or by calling Evertek headquarters at 712-834-2255. Evertek holds the MMDS (2.5-2.686GHz) BTAs for Mason City, Sioux City, and Fort Dodge, Iowa, with towers that extend coverage into Eastern Nebraska and South Dakota.
"Our successful partnership with NextNet has resulted in thousands of happy subscribers across seven new Iowa markets during the past 18 months," stated Roxanne White, Evertek General Manager. "NextNet's system performance and outstanding service are key to our success. They deliver a reliable, customer-friendly product, and their technical team provides side-by-side support to facilitate our rapid growth and expansion. NextNet is a true partner, long after the purchase orders are signed. They take great pride in their product and service. The bottom line is - NextNet makes our customers happy, and that makes us happy," White added.
"It is our great honor to work with the Evertek team," stated Guy Kelnhofer, NextNet CEO. "In December 2001, Evertek introduced commercial plug-and-play NLOS services to the residents of Pocahontas, IA, and to the broadband wireless industry as a whole. Today, 18 months later, Evertek's successful deployments serve as technical and business models for other wireless carriers targeting underserved regional markets. In fact, we receive many, many requests from carriers worldwide to visit the Evertek sites. They have simply done a fantastic job of developing and executing a very clever business plan," Kelnhofer added.
NextNet's Expedience™ NLOS broadband wireless system is an IP-based network that supports mobile delivery of broadband applications. Today, this broadband mobility is being employed at actual speeds of over 120 kilometers per hour in Mexico City, and simulated at speeds of up to 175 kilometers per hour, with absolutely no performance degradation.
The Expedience system is currently deployed in cities throughout Asia, Africa, North America, Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. NextNet provides wireless carriers with proven superiority in the critical areas of coverage, capacity and capital cost, allowing for rapid penetration into the untapped business and residential markets. The company's flexible OFDM-based platform delivers consistent broadband speeds across NLOS cell radiuses of up to 30 km, using indoor, plug-and-play (self-installable) subscriber units, as well as convenient outdoor (bracket-mount) NLOS subscriber units. The flexible Expedience™ base station weighs just 16 kg, and mounts easily to a pole, tower, building rooftop or standard indoor rack.
For more information on NextNet commercial installations in urban, suburban and rural locations, please contact sales@nextnetwireless.com
About Evertek
Evertek, Inc., founded in 1989, is a 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. Evertek is the recipient of numerous Wireless Communications Association technical awards and has been an invited speaker at several international industry events. The company is headquartered in Everly, IA. Contact: Chris Dodd, Marketing & Sales Manager; cdodd@evertek.net; Tel: 712-834-2255 or visit www.evertek.net
About NextNet™ Wireless, Inc.
NextNet Wireless is the industry's most widely deployed provider of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) plug-and-play broadband wireless access systems. NextNet's OFDM-based Expedience™ system provides telecommunications carriers with turnkey solutions for rapid, low-cost deployment of high-speed, two-way voice and data services over the "last mile" of the communications network. The Expedience system is deployed in over 20 markets globally, including the world's largest NLOS plug-and-play deployment in Mexico, covering 70 million potential business and residential subscribers nationwide.
NextNet is the recipient of seven industry technical awards for delivering NLOS service to under-served urban, suburban and rural markets. NextNet's primary investors include DCM-Doll Capital Management, Enterasys (NYSE: ETS) (formerly Cabletron Systems), Globespan Capital Partners, Green Ventures, Star Ventures and others. Contact: Barbara Heine, Director, Marketing Communications; heineb@nextnetwireless.com; Tel: 952-967-1116; Fax: 952-929-4080 or visit www.nextnetwireless.com.
