France Telecom Affiliate Ikatel Mali Deploying Alvarion's WiMAX Solution
GSM Operator To Provide Fixed Broadband Services To Corporate and Residential Subscribers Using BreezeMAX(TM)
MOUNTAINVIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 28, 2005 -
Alvarion Ltd.,
(NASDAQ: ALVR), the world's leading provider of wireless broadband
solutions and specialized mobile networks, today announced that Ikatel,
an affiliate of France Telecom offering broadband data services in the
West African country of Mali, will install Alvarion's BreezeMAX(TM) 3500
system, including hundreds of CPEs based on the Intel WiMAX chip to
deploy a WiMAX network in the capital city of Bamako. Ikatel, a leading
GSM and Internet operator in Mali, expects to deploy the network by
year-end.
"We are excited to bring advanced WiMAX technology to the corporate and
residential market using Alvarion's BreezeMAX," said Amadou Deme, chief
technical officer of Ikatel Mali. "They are hungry for broadband
services, and BreezeMAX definitely fits our requirements for quick
installation and overall costs. In addition to providing us the best
possible technological solution, Alvarion had a true understanding of
our special network needs, business environment and gave us the right
level of support all along the way. We are firm in our commitment to
bring affordable Internet services to Mali's population and are
confident that WiMAX will enable us to succeed."
BreezeMAX(TM) is Alvarion's award winning, WiMAX platform that has been
designed from the ground up according to the IEEE 802.16-2004 standards
using OFDM technology for advanced non-line-of-sight (NLOS)
functionality. Its carrier-class design supports broadband speeds and
quality of service (QoS) to enable carriers to offer triple play
broadband services to thousands of subscribers from a single base
station. Since its launch in mid-2004, BreezeMAX has been successfully
deployed in over 130 installations in more than 30 countries around the
world. Already an integral part of WiMAX networks in Europe and Latin
America, this is the first deployment in Africa of the BreezeMAX PRO CPE
with the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 WiMAX chip.
"WiMAX, and specifically BreezeMAX, are key enablers of the availability
of advanced broadband services worldwide, including Africa," said Tzvika
Friedman, CEO and President of Alvarion. "Using our BreezeMAX PRO CPE
with the Intel WiMAX chip inside, the Ikatel network and others like it
show the strong and immediate acceptance of Intel based subscriber
units, and these networks are creating a new benchmark of capabilities
in the market. Ikatel is a dynamic operator who will be deploying a
feature rich, wireless solution with the highest quality of service,
while benefiting from the improved economics of WiMAX."
About Ikatel
Subsidiary of Sonatel, member of France Telecom Group, Ikatel SA is a
global Telecom Operator in Mali since February 2003. Within two and a
half years of commercial deployment, Ikatel became the leader of the GSM
Mobile network in Mali, with more than 550,000 subscribers and the most
valuable provider of comprehensive solutions of telecommunications for
corporate customers. Ikatel is the pioneer in the market for
technological innovations. Ikatel is strongly commitment to democratize
the telecommunications market in Mali to bring about affordable usage of
Internet services based on WiMAX technology. For further information,
please visit our Web site: www.ikatel.net
About Alvarion
With more than 2 million units deployed in 130 countries, Alvarion is
the worldwide leader in wireless broadband providing systems to
carriers, ISPs and private network operators, and also in extending
coverage of GSM and CDMA mobile networks to developing countries and
other hard to serve areas.
Leading the WiMAX revolution, Alvarion has the most extensive
deployments and proven product portfolio in the industry covering the
full range of frequency bands with both fixed and mobile solutions.
Alvarion's products enable the delivery of business and residential
broadband access, corporate VPNs, toll quality telephony, mobile base
station feeding, hotspot coverage extension, community interconnection,
public safety communications, and mobile voice and data. Alvarion works
with several global OEM providers and more than 200 local partners to
support its diverse global customer base in solving their last-mile
challenges.
As a wireless broadband pioneer, Alvarion has been driving and
delivering innovations for more than ten years from core technology
developments to creating and promoting industry standards. Leveraging
its key roles in the IEEE and HiperMAN standards committees and
experience deploying OFDM-based systems, the Company's prominent work in
the WiMAX Forum is focused on increasing widespread adoption of
standards-based products in the wireless broadband market and leading
the entire industry to mobile WiMAX solutions.
For more information, visit Alvarion's World Wide Web site at www.alvarion.com
This press release contains forward -looking statements within the
meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the current
expectations or beliefs of Alvarion's management and are subject to a
number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those described in the forward -looking
statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual
results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements: inability to further identify, develop and achieve success
for new products, services and technologies; increased competition and
its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues;
as well as the in ability to establish and maintain relationships with
commerce, advertising, marketing, and technology providers and other
risks detailed from time to time in filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Information set forth in this press release pertaining to third parties
has not been independently verified by Alvarion and is based solely on
publicly available information or on information provided to Alvarion by
such third parties for inclusion in this press release. The web sites
appearing in this press release are not and will not be included or
incorporated by reference in any filing made by Alvarion with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, which this press release will be a
part of.
You may request Alvarion's future press releases or a complete Investor
Kit by contacting Carmen Deville, Investor Relations:
carmen.deville@alvarion.com or +650.314.2653
Contacts
Alvarion Ltd. Investors:
Carmen Deville, 650-314-2653
carmen.deville@alvarion.com or
Press:
In the U.S.:
Donna Carlson, +1-719-481-5880
dcarlson@golinharris.com
or
In the U.K.:
Bridget Fishleigh, +44-127-362-4442
bridget@nomadcomms.com