Press Release

June 6, 2002
 

NTT Com to Roll Out Wide-Area Wireless Broadband Access Trial
TOKYO, JAPAN –– NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) announced today that it will commence a wireless broadband access trial to study the possibilities for simple and convenient wireless broadband access.

The trial, dubbed, "WINQ" for Wireless, Intelligent, Non line-of-sight, and Quick install, will take place in the Kanazawa area of Ishikawa Prefecture from early September 2002 to the end of August 2003.

The trial will evaluate transmission quality, analyze wireless propagation characteristics and affirm the stability of connectivity with the Internet and subscriber telephone lines.

NTT Com has obtained a preliminary license from the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications to construct a wireless base station. It now plans to obtain a formal license to conduct the trial.

NTT Com will recruit trial participants ("monitors") from among residents and businesses in the Kanazawa area. Monitors will be able to apply online at www.winq-kanazawa.net beginning in early July.

NTT Com will distribute approximately 100 SOMAport™ network appliances (see Attachment 1) for the trial. Each monitor will connect his or her SOMAport to a PC to enjoy broadband downlinks of up to 5.12 Mbps (319 Kbps uplinks). The SOMAport is made by SOMA Networks, Inc., a San Francisco-based developer of wireless access systems (www.somanetworks.com).

The SOMAport incorporates W-CDMA technology for wide-area wireless broadband communications. Features include:
  • Unlimited wireless broadband access up to 5 Mbps
  • Instant broadband terminal with built-in antenna (no installation or adjustment required)
  • All-in-one data/voice package, handling two lines for simultaneous voice communications, including to/from mobile phones
  • Wide coverage of major areas in Kanazawa City (simulation shows that data speed of more than 1 Mbps is possible within a 4 km cell radius)

Outline of Trial (see Attachment 2)

Wireless technology: W-CDMA, 2.6 GHz band
Data connection interface: One 10Base-T (RJ-45) port or universal serial bus (USB1.1) port
Voice connection interface: Two RJ-11 ports
Transmission speeds: 5.12 Mbps (downlink) and 319 Kbps (uplink)
Note:wireless bearer speed. 10 Mbps planned.
Wireless coverage: Most of Kanazawa City


SOMAport is a trademark of SOMA Networks, Inc.

About NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com)
NTT Com, a Tokyo-based subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, provides long-distance and international services for voice, video and data communication reaching more than 200 countries. NTT Com also provides world-class IP services under the NTT/VERIO brand, as well as managed data, multimedia and additional services under the Arcstar brand. For details, please visit www.ntt.com


About SOMA Networks, Inc.
Integrating the latest advances in wireless, distributed computing, and Internet technologies, SOMA Networks' unique system allows anyone to become a full-service telecommunications service provider offering a feature-rich package of carrier-grade voice and broadband Internet services to the residential and small-office market. SOMA Networks offers the only economically viable "last-mile" telecommunications solution for service providers that meets the needs of today's residential and small-office users. Its fully converged system offers ubiquitous service, rapid market entry and scalability, and quick, inexpensive creation of multimedia services. Founded in 1998, SOMA Networks has development centers located in San Francisco, California; Richardson, Texas; and Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario. For more information about SOMA Networks, visit http://www.somanetworks.com.