Vanu, Inc. Announces Commercial Availability of Anywave Base Station; First FCC-Certified Software Radio Device Deployed Live in Mid Tex Cellular Network

Business Wire, March 14, 2005

NEW ORLEANS -- Vanu, Inc., the leading developer of software radio solutions, today announced the commercial release of its Anywave(TM) Base Station. The Anywave Base Station is the first FCC-certified base station system that fully implements the base transceiver station (BTS) and base station controller (BSC) entirely in software, running on a general-purpose server. With software-based signal processing and a standards-based architecture, the Anywave Base Station provides unprecedented flexibility and ease of migration for wireless carrier networks. Adding support for new waveforms is accomplished through software downloads, not hardware upgrades, significantly reducing operating costs. The product is deployed in Mid Tex Cellular's network in rural Texas and Mid Tex is now beginning the transition of the local TDMA subscriber base to their GSM network based on the Anywave Base Station.

Substantiating the technology, the Anywave Base Station was recently recognized at one of the world's largest wireless conferences, the 3GSM World Congress, with the 2005 GSM Award for Best Network Infrastructure. Vanu was given the award because this technology represents a paradigm shift that can completely change how wireless networks are deployed.

"The Anywave Base Station was developed to address key issues affecting the ability of wireless carriers to offer competitive services and operate more profitably," said Vanu Bose, CEO of Vanu, Inc. "Our software radio technology will help Mid Tex Cellular to capture new sources of revenue and in the future, allow simultaneous support for multiple wireless network protocols and add scalability to the existing infrastructure."

According to Toney Prather, CEO of Mid Tex Cellular, "When we first learned of Vanu's software radio technology, we quickly saw the potential for radical change in how new standards come to market in wireless networks. The results have far exceeded our expectations. We have seen a significant reduction in operating expenses and have increased revenue by carrying GSM roaming traffic for national carriers."

The BTS features software running on a general-purpose server, which is connected to a radio frequency (RF) front end. Currently, the Vanu BTS implements GSM functionality and is also GPRS and EDGE ready. The BSC - which can be integrated with an add-on packet control unit (PCU) for GPRS data deployments - features Vanu BSC and transcoder rate adapter unit (TRAU) software running on general-purpose servers all connected to Gigabit Ethernet switches. TRAU connections can be made with either traditional switches or soft switches, depending on customer needs.

Vanu also offers a GPRS software upgrade to the Anywave Base Station to enable carriers to offer a range of wireless data services while still running the same OS and commercial servers for the base system. The Vanu architecture is compatible with a range of backhaul solutions including T1, microwave, fiber and satellite. The system is available today in a range of configurations, from a single base station implementation to distributed antennae systems. The next release will provide simultaneous support for multiple wireless network protocols.

Vanu offers the Anywave Base Station as a turnkey system fully implemented, tested and optimized for each deployment by the company's expert service professionals. Pricing is customized for each customer based upon the underlying hardware, network complexity and services required.

Additional information about Vanu and its Anywave Base Station is available at the company's exhibit at CTIA Wireless, Booth 2030, from March 14-16, 2005.

About Vanu, Inc.

Vanu, Inc. is the developer of the Anywave(TM) Base Station, the world's first U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-certified software radio. The Anywave Base Station affords greater flexibility than traditional radios and offers wireless network operators the ability to lower CAPEX and OPEX and to use their spectrum more efficiently. Vanu applies modern software engineering techniques to the high-speed signal processing elements at the core of wireless devices to create portable software radio applications increasing the pace of innovation in wireless devices. The company licenses software radio components and applications and provides design-consulting services to wireless OEMs, system integrators and service providers. Vanu was founded in 1998 and is based in Cambridge, Mass. www.vanu.com