Advanced Radio Telecom Announces Delivery of Live Broadcast Programming to Businesses in San Jose

Business Wire, August 17, 1999

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 1999--

Combined Satellite and Broadband Wireless Networks

Enable Delivery of Bloomberg Television to the Desktop

Advanced Radio Telecom Corp. (Nasdaq:ARTT) announced the delivery of live Bloomberg Television directly to desktop PCs via GE American Communications' (GE Americom) Broadband IP satellite network and ART's 100 megabit per second (Mbps) broadband wireless network.

The live news programming is being delivered to a single local satellite link and then distributed over ART's fixed wireless broadband network using 100Mbps ringed Ethernet wireless technology.

ART began testing its 100Mbps service in the San Jose area last month and is scheduled to begin offering commercial Internet access service next month. ART's San Jose network is a Cisco Powered Network(TM) using Cisco routers as a backbone for the 100 percent Internet Protocol (IP) traffic. In addition, ART is using the new "consecutive point" radio system from Triton Network Systems.

The Bloomberg streaming programming will be transmitted from GE Americom's Broadband IP Media uplink hub in Woodbine, Md., and travel to San Jose via the GE-3 satellite in MPEG4 format to a satellite downlink that interfaces with ART's broadband network. This hybrid transport solution is ideal for this type of application because it provides throughput for the simultaneous distribution of multiple streaming videos and other media rich content to hundreds of desktops.

"ART's 100Mbps network will enable the delivery of GE Americom's Broadband IP, real-time content services, as well as provide the broadband channel for development of new applications," said Henry C. (Harry) Hirsch, ART chairman and CEO. "Business users are delighted at the prospect of having cost effective access to a truly high-speed data network, avoiding all of the typical congestion in the Internet and in the local loop."

Bloomberg Television is broadcast globally in seven languages as a 24-hour news and information channel emphasizing business and financial news. Its multi-screen format of anchored video reports and text updates gives viewers the flexibility to get their news virtually on demand. All news and screen information is tailored to cover each specific broadcast market. It provides comprehensive, business, world and international news.

ART signed a definitive agreement for a $251 million equity investment with Qwest Communications International Inc. and a group of high-tech investment funds -- syndicate leader Oak Investment Partners, MeriTech Capital Partners, Advent International, Columbia Capital, Accel Partners, Brentwood Venture Capital, Worldview Technology Partners, Bessemer Venture Capital, and Adams Capital Management. ART plans to build metropolitan-area broadband fixed wireless networks in 40 of the top 50 U.S. markets over the next few years.

About ART

Advanced Radio Telecom Corp. (Nasdaq:ARTT), headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., is a provider of broadband wireless access to businesses at speeds up to 100Mbps. In addition to the San Jose network, ART currently owns and operates metropolitan area networks in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Phoenix with plans to expand to 40 of the top 50 U.S. markets in the next few years. ART has a nationwide footprint of 38GHz spectrum licenses in the United States, and owns 26GHz and/or 38GHz spectrum licenses in the United Kingdom and several Scandinavian countries. For more information, please visit ART's website at www.art-net.net.

The above information includes forward-looking statements regarding potential equipment, network deployment and third party services. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including without limitation, failure to consummate the $251 million financing transaction, capital requirements and other financial risks, customer demand, technological risks, the ability to meet financing conditions, management of growth, ability to achieve Year 2000 compliance, competition and government regulation may cause actual results to differ materially from the future results implied or expressed in the forward looking statements. Additional information about the most significant of such factors is set forth in ART's most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The Company does not undertake to update or revise its forward-looking statements publicly even if experience or future changes make clear that any projected results expressed or implied herein will not be realized.