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| Wireless Internet - Press Releases |
Unwired Australia Pty Ltd
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA and RICHARDSON, TEXAS, USA - October 7, 2003
Unwired Australia Pty Ltd ("Unwired"), the only national 3.4 - 3.5GHz spectrum license holder
in Australia, has announced their plans for metro-area deployments of a non-line-of-sight,
wide-area wireless broadband network throughout Australia using equipment from Navini Networks,
Inc. Once operational, this system will be the first non-line-of-sight wide-area wireless
broadband system in Australia.
Sydney will be the first city for Unwired's build-out and one of the first cities in the Asia
Pacific region to have a complete metro-area wide-area wireless broadband network.
Industry research shows the Australian market at an inflection point in broadband growth, with
customers expected to grow to 1.4million by 2005 and 3 million by the end of the decade. The
revenue generated from this broadband access is growing significantly and expected to reach
$1 billion by 2005.
In addition to expected strong industry growth, Unwired also identified that unfulfilled demand
from residents and small businesses not reached by current DSL providers presents a substantial
opportunity. A study by London Economics last year revealed that 41 percent of Australian
households do not have access to DSL due to the limitation of the existing copper-wire
infrastructure. The study also reported that even by 2005, DSL will not reach 30 percent of
the country's households.
Having successfully completed testing of its trial network in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, the
company said deployment of the Sydney-wide network will begin in the 4th quarter of this year
with the goal of having 70 sites operational by the end of the first quarter 2004. When the
Sydney network is complete, Unwired plans to roll out other large metropolitan areas, including
Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and major regional centers.
"Unwired is now uniquely positioned to offer an accessible broadband service to the residential
and small business market of Australia, complementing our strategic 3.4GHz national spectrum,"
stated Peter Shore, Chairman of Unwired. "Navini's superior non-line-of-sight technology will
allow us to quickly deploy a solid network, and to be able offer broadband services with the
added benefit of untethered access anywhere in the service area."
"Unwired is set to provide a much-needed service for Australians, providing a broadband
alternative based on the most advanced wireless broadband technology available," observed
Alastair Westgarth, president and chief executive officer of Navini Networks. "The fact that
Unwired is the first company in Australia to offer a wireless WAN solution is a testament to
the company's vision for Australia's broadband landscape."
About Unwired Australia Pty Ltd
Established in 2000, Unwired is an independent telecommunications company that is building a
national Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) network to meet the needs of Australia's residential,
SOHO and SME internet users.
Backed by a combination of Australian private investors and US institutional investors
including Credit Suisse First Boston, The Invus Group and Bruckmann Rosser Sherill, Unwired
boasts an experienced executive team committed to driving the company forward in a spirit of
technical excellence and quality service.
About Navini Networks
Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, Navini Networks offers patented wide-area wireless broadband
technology delivering multi-megabit speeds to customers up to 8 miles from the base station.
Navini provides nomadic, zero-install(tm), non-line-of-sight infrastructure to allow for
anytime, anywhere Web access. Navini Networks' Ripwave(tm) products consist of a desktop modem
or PCMCIA card, base station, and element management system (EMS) and operate in various
licensed and unlicensed frequencies. Navini's solution results in a price/performance
combination that is superior to other broadband offerings - wired or wireless - in the
marketplace. Navini's investors include Austin Ventures, Granite Ventures, Sequoia Capital,
Sternhill Partners, as well as Alcatel, Intel and Sanmina. For more information, please visit
www.Navini.com.
For general information on Navini or to speak to a sales representative, please email
sales@navini.com
For information on Unwired, please email email@unwiredaustralia.com.au.
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