WinStar Selects Siemens For Broadband Wireless Expansion - WinStar Communications, Siemens Information and Communication Networks, Communication Networks - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Oct 4, 1999

Telecom equipment manufacturer and system integrator, Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc., has signed a five-year contract with WinStar Communications Inc. to manufacture, deploy, and install equipment and provide support for national and international Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) broadband wireless networks. This strategic agreement includes plans to deploy PMP technology domestically and internationally with a total business opportunity of up to $400 million. WinStar will deploy the PMP system from Siemens for commercial use in major U.S. metropolitan cities.

The Siemens PMP system delivers two-way, high-speed data, video, Internet access and voice services from the network to the end user using local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) technology. It is one of the first ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) systems in the broadband wireless market to move beyond either trials or first office applications (FOAs), and to reach a significant commercial rollout.

Siemens will integrate both P-Com and Siemens products into the WinStar PMP network. Siemens will provide multiple levels of service for WinStar's nationwide rollout. Siemens is also prepared to support WinStar's international PMP rollout.

"Siemens has world-class integration expertise in wireless, ATM and voice telephony networks," said WinStar, president and chief operating officer, Nathan Kantor. "The high-speed performance of their system and its capability to provide multiple services to customers delivers a distinct competitive advantage to WinStar."

"This agreement validates both our LMDS technology and our ability to serve WinStar as a first-class system integrator," said Fred Fromm, president and CEO of Siemens Information and Communication Networks. "WinStar and Siemens are at the forefront of the drive to bring next-generation services and benefits to end users."

WinStar provides business customers with a wide range of state-of-the-art telecommunications services through its national-local broadband network. Commercial office buildings can be quickly connected to WinStar's fixed wireless network, giving businesses in those buildings swift access to local and long distance phone service, Internet, video conferencing, data applications and other advanced telecommunications and data services such as telemedicine, distance learning and virtual private networks.

The award of this multi-year contract for the deployment of a PMP network is the result of a joint development agreement between Siemens and P-Com. The system utilizes P-Com wireless technology, which is integrated with customer premise equipment, (CPE) jointly developed by the two companies. Earlier this year, Siemens and P-Com announced the completion of the first phase of the commercial deployment of their PMP wireless access solution with WinStar in Washington, D.C.

The resulting PMP solution is an easy-to-provision, high-capacity single platform that can support and deliver multiple services to areas not served by fiber and limited by traditional twisted copper pair wiring. A PMP network enables a single radio at a base station location to communicate with many remote terminals located within a cluster of buildings. The ATM-based base station unit can send, receive, and switch two-way transmissions to and from each remote terminal.

WinStar Communications Inc. is a pioneer in providing business customers with broadband communications services, including local and long distance phone service, as well as high-speed Internet access, data and information services. WinStar provides these Wireless Fiber services in more than 30 U.S. markets over its own local broadband networks, using its licenses in the 28 and 38 GHz spectrum, which are connected to the company's nationwide fiber-optic network. In addition, the company offers Wireless Fiber services in two international markets. In the past year, WinStar has become one of the largest Internet companies in the U.S. Recently, the company announced a destination Web site for businesses, Office.com, a service from WinStar. WinStar is a registered trademark, and Wireless Fiber and Office.com are service marks of WinStar Communications, Inc.

P-Com Inc., headquartered in Campbell, Calif., develops, manufactures and markets network access systems for the worldwide wireless telecommunications market. The point-to-point, spread spectrum and point-to-multipoint radio links provided by P-Com are designed to satisfy the network requirements of cellular and personal communications service, corporate communications, public utilities and local governments. The home page is www.p-com.com.

Based in Boca Raton, Fla., Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc. provides integrated voice, data, and video communications networks to carrier and enterprise customers. Last year, the company's 7,000 U.S. employees generated sales of nearly $2 billion. Its parent firm is Siemens, the pioneering electronics giant with more than 400,000 employees worldwide and global sales of over $66 billion. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.icn.siemens.com.