Newbridge ATM leadership and BNI digital and Radio Frequency (RF)
technology combine for powerful solution
OTTAWA, Sept. 12 /CNW-PRN/ - Newbridge Networks today announced it will
acquire a 15% equity position in Broadband Networks Inc. (BNI) to address the
nascent broadband wireless market. This equity stake by Newbridge Networks,
the global market leader in Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology,
secures a partnership with BNI, the leader in broadband radio technology, and
includes joint research and development and marketing activities to enable the
development of wireless ATM solutions for Local Multipoint Communications
Systems (LMCS) in Canada and Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) in
the United States.
LMCS/LMDS is a spectrum allocation which enables integrated high capacity
wireless communications services such as high speed data, broadcast (cable)
distribution, and Internet access in the 28 GHz range. Industry Canada has
announced that two LMCS frequency blocks, or bands, will be licensed this
year. Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission has allocated a
total of 1.3 GHz for LMDS, and the auction of licences will follow in the next
six to nine months at which time Newbridge and BNI will have a technology
solution to meet service providers' requirements.
"Newbridge Networks and BNI believe that early entry into the broadband
wireless market will enable competitive access providers, Internet Service
Providers and incumbent telecommunications service providers to offer high
capacity, lower cost access solutions in a broadband/ATM infrastructure,"
said Terence Matthews, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Newbridge
Networks.
International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that the global market for
ATM broadband infrastructure will grow to $2.5 billion by the year 2000 from
the $247 million in 1995. Broadband wireless has the potential to accelerate
the deployment of core ATM by offering a broadband distribution network that
enables rapid, cost effective deployment of multimedia services.
Newbridge and Siemens AG of Germany formed a strategic alliance in March
of this year that positions the two partner companies to provide global,
end-to-end, ATM-based networking solutions, capitalizing on the complementary
strengths that each brings to the alliance.
The Newbridge(R)/BNI research and development efforts will focus on
developing a solution that integrates BNI's radio technology with the
Newbridge-Siemens alliance ATM switching products, providing an ATM base
station for wireless networks. The network will be fully compatible with
wireline services, allowing a mix of wireless and wireline technologies. It
will have the additional benefit of being managed by the industry leading
Newbridge Management Executive, a powerful network management system which
features graphical user interface and point-and click configuration. Initial
products will be introduced next year.
"Newbridge and BNI are clearly leaders in their respective fields. Their
collaborative effort is most impressive and should be welcomed by all LMCS and
LMDS license applicants," said Jan Peeters, President and Chief Executive
Officer, fONOROLA Inc.
One license applicant is DCM Dialogue Canada Multimedia, a consortium of
nine leading companies in communications information and media production.
"Today's announcement of the Newbridge/BNI partnership for the development of
wireless ATM solutions supports DMC Dialogue Canada's vision for the LMCS and
LMDS industry," said Peter Barnes, Chairman, DCM Dialogue Canada Multimedia.
"Newbridge, BNI, and DCM represent world class expertise and experience in
offering powerful wireless broadband services."
"BNI's comprehensive offering for wireless broadband networks and
leading edge digital products are field-proven designs," said Wes Vivian,
Founder and President of Vivian Associates, a wireless consultancy in Ann
Arbor, Michigan. "Combined with Newbridge's leadership in ATM, the success of
this partnership will influence all Multi-channel Multipoint Distribution
System (MMDS), LMDS, and Multipoint Video Distribution System, as well as
system designers worldwide."
Newbridge will also tap into the capabilities of a number of its
affiliate companies, such as Starvision Multimedia Corporation and
Televitesse, to offer multimedia applications for broadband networks.
Starvision's StarMed is the world's first telemedicine product designed to
take advantage of high bandwidth ATM networks. StarMed provides a high-quality
collaborative conferencing capability that combines full-resolution NTSC video
with X-ray quality images. This allows medical professionals to collaborate
effectively over distances with the same quality of information they have
access to in the local healthcare facility.
Televitesse's flagship product, accesTV, is being used in the world's
first trial of a computer-based multimedia news alerting and news-on-demand
service. Known as the "Personal News Network," or PNN, the pilot project
brings television to desktop computer users, delivering only the information
they want or need.
Broadband Networks Inc. (http://www.bni.ca) provides leading edge digital
wireless network solutions for customers around the world. BNI designs,
manufactures and services complete product families that include MPEG2 digital
video compression systems, MMDS wireless cable microwave transmission
products, and LMCS digital wireless network products. BNI has delivered and
installed the the world's first LMCS system in Osaka, Japan with Nippon
Telephone and Telegraph, and in Canada the world's first MMDS system with
Pacific Tel Labs, a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis Group. BNI is a privately
held company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Newbridge Networks (http://www.newbridge.com) is a global leader in ATM,
frame relay and time division multiplexing (TDM) networking systems, according
to independent research. The company designs, manufactures and services a
comprehensive family of networking products and systems that delivers the
power of multimedia communications to organizations in more than 100 countries
throughout the world. Newbridge products are the choice of an expanding range
of customers which includes the world's 200 largest telecommunications service
providers, as well as more than 10,000 corporations and government
organizations. The company has facilities in Canada, the United States, Latin
America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia.
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