Airspan Networks to Supply WipLL Wireless Access Solutions for Major COMPARTEL Project in Colombia10 January 2006
Airspan Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRN), a
leading worldwide provider of WiMAX-based broadband wireless access
networks and carrier class Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) solutions,
announced today that the Consortium Union Temporal COLDECON ("COLDECON
Consortium") has chosen Airspan's products for the deployment of a
large-scale broadband rural access project in Colombia.
Following an international competitive tender and bid process, the COLDECON
Consortium has signed an agreement with COMPARTEL, an executive branch of
the Ministry of Communications of Colombia, to deploy broadband
connectivity to 2,224 schools and public institutions in the northern part
of the country. The network will use Airspan's WipLL platform in various
frequency bands in combination with VSAT technologies for the access and
backhaul portions of the project. Airspan's supply agreement with COLDECON
Consortium is expected to generate more than $2.5 million of revenues over
the next two years, and may be increased if the Consortium is asked by
COMPARTEL in 2006 to expand the network.
The project is being carried out under a COMPARTEL five-year initiative to
provide broadband telecommunications access to public institutions in
Colombia. The project involves providing high-speed Internet service
together with support and personal computers for local municipalities,
schools and hospitals.
Airspan anticipates that approximately half of the sites in the project
will be served by WipLL base stations and customer premise equipment, which
will be installed over the next 20 months, the first installations to take
place in March 2006. The equipment will operate in the 900MHz and 5.8GHz
frequencies. The VSAT equipment will be used to backhaul the traffic from
most of the WipLL sites and as a last-mile access solution.
"We are excited about another COMPARTEL project win for the second
consecutive year," said Amit Ancikovsky, Airspan's Vice President and
General Manager, Latin America. "Our WipLL platform is now the de-facto
standard for broadband fixed wireless access in Colombia, and its wide
range of frequencies and excellent performance metrics will provide Airspan
with a significant advantage in facilitating the transition by Colombian
operators into WiMAX-based products later next year. Our WipLL base
stations currently operate in all of Colombia's largest cities and a
significant number of this country's smaller towns, which provides us with
the necessary local scale to support not only large deployments in the
country like COMPARTEL but also the deployment of WiMAX networks in 2006."
The COLDECON Consortium is lead by COLDECON S.A. COLDECON started its
operations in the city of Cali, Colombia, in 1998, and became a leading
nationwide provider of paging, cellular and wireless services in the
country. It subsequently expanded into broadband services, becoming one of
Colombia's largest Internet Service Providers and a provider of broadband
wireless access, with a wireless network that currently covers more than 20
cities in the country. COLDECON has also expanded its business to dedicated
data lines to corporate customers in the country and is currently one of
the fastest growing telecommunications companies in the Andean region.
COLDECON leads the market for paging, Internet access, call center services
for domestic and international calls, radio telephony and distribution of
cellular phones. COLDECON currently has more than 100,000 corporate and
residential Internet customers.
"This project fits into our core strategy of leading the market in
broadband access services bundled with other ISP services," commented
Carlos Alberto Bernal Forero, COLDECON President. "Airspan was a natural
technology choice for us due to our long standing relationship with
Airspan, our extensive experience with its products and Airspan's
leadership and experience in the Colombian wireless market."
About Airspan Networks Inc.
Airspan Networks provides fixed and wireless voice and data systems and
solutions, including Voice Over IP (VoIP). Its wireless products serve
operators around the world in both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands
between 700 MHz and 6 GHz, including both PCS and 3.5GHz international
bands. Airspan has a strong wireless product roadmap that includes
offerings compliant with the new WiMAX 802.16-2004 standard, and software
upgradeability to 802.16e from the time the WiMAX products are introduced.
Airspan is on the Board and a founder member of the WiMAX Forum. Through
its newly acquired Radionet division, the company also offers 802.11-based
metrozone networks and applications for various enterprise vertical
markets. The Company has deployments with more than 300 operators in more
than 95 countries. Airspan's wireless systems are based on radio technology
that delivers excellent area coverage, high security and resistance to
fading. These systems can be deployed rapidly and cost effectively,
providing an attractive alternative to traditional wired communications
networks. Airspan's new i-Tone VoIP system is a carrier class, turnkey
solution that provides carriers with Class 4, Class 5 and IP-Centrex
solutions and has a Softswitch and Gateways supporting SIP/H323 and SIP.
i-Tone's design provides customers; carriers, next-generation telcos,
cellular providers and ITSP with a wide range of solutions with the best
price/performance system for IP telephony. Airspan also offers radio
planning, network installation, integration, training and support services
to facilitate the deployment and operation of its systems. Airspan is
headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with its main operations center in
Uxbridge, United Kingdom.
More information on Airspan can be found at http://www.airspan.com
About Coldecon S.A.
COLDECON is today one of the largest providers of Internet access in
Colombia with a nationwide network that includes all of the major
metropolitan regions in the country. COLDECON has implemented a broadband
wireless access network which provides the most complete coverage currently
available in Colombia for dedicated data channels. COLDECON also provides
other telecommunications services such as paging, communications center,
corporate voice services and cellular distribution. COLDECON has more than
5,000 employees in Colombia with the largest sales team across the nation
based on 2,500 sales people. COLDECON is currently the largest operator of
paging services in Latin America. COLDECON's customer care center includes
800 customer service posts and 1,200 customer representatives that serve
corporations in the country and internationally. COLDECON is considered as
one of the growth companies in the telecommunications sector in Colombia.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of
historical facts, including statements regarding our strategy, future
operations, financial position, future revenues, projected costs,
prospects, plans and objectives of management, may be deemed to be
forward-looking statements. The words "anticipates," "believes,"
"estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "projects," "will,"
"would" and similar expressions or negative variations thereof are intended
to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking
statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve
the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking
statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking
statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual
results or events to differ materially from the plans, intentions and
expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. Investors
and others are therefore cautioned that a variety of factors, including
certain risks, may affect our business and cause actual results to differ
materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These
risk factors include, without limitation, (i) a slowdown of expenditures by
communication service providers; (ii) increased competition from
alternative communication systems; (iii) the failure of our existing or
prospective customers to purchase products as projected; (iv) our inability
to successfully implement cost reduction or containment programs; (v) a
loss of any of our key customers; (vi) our ability to retain the largest
existing customer of Nortel Network's fixed wireless business; (vii) our
ability to continue to sell the existing inventory of Nortel Network's
fixed wireless business on purchase terms and conditions comparable to
those currently utilized, and (viii) specific to this press release,
Airspan's ability to successfully integrate WipLL with VSAT technology; the
Consortium's ability to deploy and operate the network; and COMPARTEL's
ability to pay for the services provided on the network. The Company is
subject to the risks and uncertainties described in its filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form
10-K, as amended by Amendment No.1 on Form 10-K/A, for the year ended 31
December, 2004. You should read those factors as being applicable to all
related forward-looking statements wherever they appear in this press
release. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements.
For Investment inquiries, contact:
Airspan Networks:
Peter Aronstam
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +1 561 893-8682
Fax: +1 561 893-8671
Email: Email Contact
SOURCE: Airspan Networks, Inc
Source: marketwire
All trademarks and copyrighted information contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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