Press Releases

BridgeWave Communications Introduces First 60 GHz Wireless Gigabit Ethernet Link Under $20,000

SANTA CLARA, Calif. May 6, 2004 - BridgeWave Communications, Inc., the technology leader in upper millimeter-wave wireless communications, announces the immediate availability of the GE60 wireless gigabit Ethernet link. The GE60 is a full speed wireless gigabit Ethernet LAN extender that provides fiber-equivalent performance, availability and security over distances of up to one-half mile.

"The GE60 sets the mark as the highest performance gigabit wireless solution on the market," announced Amir Makleff, president and CEO of BridgeWave Communications. "We are introducing the GE60 at $19,000 per link, less than half the prevailing market price, establishing it as the first gigabit wireless solution that is affordable for mainstream deployment in enterprise and network operator applications."

The GE60 enables IT managers to centralize computing facilities by wirelessly extending LAN backbones between buildings without incurring the costs and delays associated with inter-building fiber installations. The GE60 can also link buildings across larger distances by connecting buildings to nearby metro fiber operator hub sites, extending LANs across town or across the country. "We are using GE60 links to enable our education, health and government customers to centralize and share their IT facilities between multiple buildings and sites," said Jim Johnston, president of Johnston Technical Services, Inc. "The savings in server costs, license fees and support expenses quickly cover the cost of the links. This is the first gigabit wireless link that hits the performance and price points needed to achieve widespread adoption."

The 60 GHz frequency band is approved for license-free use in the United States, just like the lower-frequency Wi-Fi® frequency bands. However, the 60 GHz band has more than ten times the allocated radio spectrum, making it possible to transport data at full gigabit speeds. Furthermore, the GE60's integrated one-foot antenna produces a very narrow beam, creating a highly secure link that is virtually immune to interference. This unique combination of license-free operation and interference immunity, together with the GE60's intuitive visual alignment features, makes GE60 links fast and easy to deploy for both skilled radio installers as well as end-user IT and facility staffs.

"BridgeWave is committed to delivering highly affordable, very high capacity wireless products in the upper millimeter-wave frequencies," said Makleff. "We intend to extend our 60 GHz leadership position with follow-on products operating in the newly-allocated E-Band (70-90 GHz) spectrum, offering longer distance links with even higher data rates."

About BridgeWave Communications
Founded in 1999, BridgeWave Communications is the leading supplier of outdoor Gigabit wireless connectivity solutions. The company’s exclusive AdaptRate™ and AdaptPath™ technologies combined with its advanced Forward Error Correction capability deliver the highest availability at the longest distances for full-rate gigabit links. BridgeWave’s point-to-point, wireless solutions are widely deployed in mainstream enterprise and service provider network applications and are poised to play a key role in the migration to 4G mobile network backhaul. With the largest installed base of GigE radios worldwide, BridgeWave delivers the highest levels of product quality and reliability.

Contact:
BridgeWave Communications
Kyle Freitas
408.567.6931
info@bridgewave.com