The first is Broadstorm Telecommunications of Bellevue, which has begun shipping its mobile Broadband Wireless Internet Access system to customers, the first of which is a small system in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.Amazingly, Broadstorm's web page does not have a Press link, but Broadband Wireless Online has a summary of the announcement.
The second is Netro Corporation, (based in San Jose, but with a very significant Redmond, WA engineering group), has completed the "internationalization" of the Wireless Broadband Wireless System once known as "Project Angel". Netro bought the "Project Angel" system after AT&T Wireless decided to discontinue the system shortly after its formal separation from AT&T. The "internationalization" included adapting the radio frequency systems from 1.9 and 2.3 GHz bands to the international 3.5 GHz band and adapting the switch interfaces from US / Bell Company standards to international standards. Project Angel was developed in Redmond, WA and after the acquisition, Netro retained some of the Redmond facilities and personnel. Shortly after the announcement, Netro announced a significant personnel reduction, and their intention that Netro would focus most of its efforts on promoting the Angel system.
Project Angel was a good Broadband Wireless Internet Access system that included the capability of up to four "life safety" phone line channels. It was in its third revision, and by all accounts this latest version was meeting most objectives when AT&T Wireless decided not to pursue that line of business and devote all its resources to the mobile telephone businesses (it badly needed the cash to fund a myriad of overlapping and sometimes conflicting initiatives.) My first Wireless Data Developments column in Boardwatch Magazine in April, 1997 was an extensive writeup of Project Angel, and I have covered the product in various venues since then.
Steve Stroh
Copyright © 2002-2004 by Steve Stroh. This article originally appeared on my original Broadband Wireless Internet Access Weblog hosted on Radio Userland.
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