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Aperto Networks Launches PacketWave 200 Series as Carrier-Programmable,
Drop-Shippable WiMAX-Class Broadband Wireless Access Subscriber Units
Feature-rich bridging/ routing CPE enables automated frequency selection, pre-staging, ultra-rapid low-cost deployment capabilities in high demand by wireless operators using 5.8 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequencies

Milpitas, Calif. November 15, 2004 - Aperto Networks, a leading WiMAX-class broadband wireless access (BWA) systems provider, has launched its newest product innovation, the PacketWave® 200 Series subscriber unit, to great carrier acclaim in North America and key international markets.

The PacketWave 200 Series is a highly integrated all-outdoor version of Aperto's popular PacketWave 100 Series subscriber units for small-to-medium business applications. It lets operators pre-configure all subscriber unit settings at their central site and drop-ship units directly to the business location for simple customer set-up and service activation. Installation is virtually tools-free and requires no CPE-based instructions or drivers for on-site configuration.

Because PacketWave 200 uses audible indicators to signal to the person installing the unit the precise moment when they have aligned the antenna for optimal combination of signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), installation and service activation can be done in as little as ten minutes and will ensure peak performance from the unit without technician intervention.

"This is a breakthrough for our cost model, since it has the potential to basically eliminate truck rolls for many installations and move us to a self-install process," stated Jeff Thompson, president of TowerStream, an early PacketWave 200 user, long-standing Aperto customer and one of the largest wireless broadband operators in the US. "Installation is much easier than the typical satellite dish installation, and in our service territory, users can pick which tower they want to aim at with their antenna, self-selecting for the best performance by location. This unit will have great benefits for our customer service and cost savings, as well as help speed our national rollout."

"We plan to use the PacketWave 200 in the San Francisco Bay Area for our newest customer locations," stated Aperto Networks customer David Hertgen, President and CEO of WiLine Networks. "The acceleration effect in our service activation is impressive, and we are very pleased with the margin-enhancing effects that the pre-configuration function gives us. This is a great step forward in ensuring more cost-effective operations for WiLine, and the rapid, trouble-free installs are great for user satisfaction."

PacketWave 200 also provides extended bridging, and automatic frequency selection (AFS) enabling wireless frequency switching based on incipient interference. These functions are extremely important to wireless operators using unlicensed 5.8 GHz spectrum, as they further extend the operator's ability to deliver very high quality signals in geographies served by more than one 5.8 GHz operator.

"We've been using the 3.5 GHz PacketWave 200 for all of our new customers and are very pleased to report at least a 30% reduction in installation cycles, improved reach due to higher signal strength, and much better technician efficiency, as one person can now install and aim the antenna," noted Charlie Ardagh, Director at Leap Broadband, a national wireless provider in Ireland. "Because this unit now only has power insertion and an Ethernet jack on the indoor side, installation is very non-intrusive for the customer. This new model helps us substantially in terms of affordability, payback on deployment and market coverage."

Three PacketWave 200 models are available to meet a variety of subscriber environments and network requirements for access and backhaul applications:

  • PacketWave 210 model, which provides bridging and VLAN support for up to five hosts.
  • PacketWave 220 model, which provides bridging, VLAN and Network Address Translation (NAT), point-to-point protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), with support for up to 20 hosts with DHCP Server.
  • PacketWave 230 model, which provides bridging, VLAN, PPPoE, NAT, and IP routing, with support for up to 250 hosts with DHCP Server, or backhaul bridging supporting 2,000 hosts.

"Aperto keeps raising the bar for broadband metro access ROI, functionality and flexible network expansion - our Series 200 models are just the latest examples of this," explained Aperto Networks vice president of marketing Alan Menezes. "For instance, the PacketWave 230 is a complete outdoor wireless router with unmatched functionality. It not only provides for easier and quicker install, but also meets the diverse requirements for business-class broadband access and UMTS base station backhaul, Hot Spot / Hot Zone, and Metro WiFi Access Point backhaul. For rapidly-growing operators, the scalability and versatility is essential."

PacketWave 200 series subscriber units are already shipping worldwide in 3.5 and 5.8 GHz frequencies, and will be generally available for 2.5 GHz frequencies early in the first quarter of 2005.

About Aperto Networks
Aperto Networks is a leader in WiMAX-class multiservice broadband wireless access systems for global markets. The company was founded to provide breakthrough solutions to the bottleneck in last-mile broadband access, and is a founding board member of the WiMAX Forum as well as a founder and lead contributor to IEEE 802.16a/d and the ETSI-BRAN standards. Its PacketWave® system is a family of base stations, subscriber units, radios and antennas in 2.5, 3.5 and 5 GHz frequencies for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint deployment. PacketWave's scalability and patented technologies support new wireless builds and complement wireline broadband access networks. Aperto is already deployed in 50 countries, meeting service provider needs for installation ease, IP-rich network functionality, cost effectiveness, rapid provisioning and interference resilience. For more information on Aperto Networks, go to www.apertonet.com.

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