I didnt realize that SOMA already has a commercial product. These penetration numbers are unbelievable....even if the sample size is small.
I hope we get similair feedback from Monet's deployment of DO....
shorecliffcommunications.com
Soma Network`s System
11/4/2002
AlwaysOn Network has achieved success with its commercial launch of services in rural, southern Oregon, using Soma Networks` broadband wireless system over licensed spectrum.
AlwaysOn is using the Soma Air Interface product in the 1.9 GHz PCS band.
The service provider tested the network in Chiloquin, Ore. with a small number of subscribers in the summer of this year. By the first week of September, AlwaysOn had 100 percent of those initial testers converted to paying customers, according to an announcement issued by Soma Networks.
There are approximately 1,000 households in Chiloquin. Thirty-one business and residential customers are currently using the service and over 100 people have signed up to use it, according to a Soma Networks spokesperson.
AlwaysOn achieved a three percent penetration rate of its primary market in the first three weeks of commercial service, without marketing efforts. The company`s goal is a market penetration rate of 30 to 40 percent, according to Dan Stanton, AlwaysOn`s chief operation officer. Currently, 15 percent of its customer base consists of small businesses.
Chiloquin is an underserved rural community in Klamath County, where broadband service options are limited.
"The community response to our service has been tremendous," Stanton said. "The system has far exceeded our expectations -- in terms of cell coverage, non-line-of-sight capability and user-friendly installation that does not require any cumbersome external antennas -- and customers have been signing up for the service in droves."
Next year, AlwaysOn is planning to launch services in Bend, Ore. It also plans to operate in second- and third-tier markets in Idaho, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Soma Networks provides last-mile broadband wireless solutions for operators serving residential and small-office customers. Soma Network`s system uses 3GPP2 (W-CDMA) technology, featuring non-line-of-sight access.
-- Kurt Mackie |
