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To: Cooters who wrote (5092)	1/12/2000 2:11:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 13582

‘Inside' Story On New Buildout LGC Wireless Uses Fiber Backbone For In-building Coverage By Brad Smith As carriers continue to build out, they're running into a “last-mile” problem–reaching into concrete and steel structures that are unfriendly to radio frequencies. If wireless is going to become a true alternative to wireline, it will have to solve that difficulty so that subscribers can use their handsets anywhere they go. That includes subterranean garages and structures such as convention centers and airports. One solution to the problem is installation of microcells. An-other–the reverse of what some competitive local exchange carriers do for last-mile access–is to turn to fiber optics and an in-building network of small hubs and antennas. AT&T Wireless Services recently took the second alternative to get ubiquitous coverage for its TDMA network at the new Safeco Field, the $500 million home of the Seattle Mariners. The carrier used a system designed and built by LGC Wireless Inc. of San Jose, Calif., which installed 32 antennas and eight hubs in the field. Safeco Inc. signed a $36 million deal with AWS parent AT&T Corp. for a multitude of services, including a $2 million annual wireless pact. In addition to the in-building coverage at Safeco Field, AT&T installed its Wireless Office Service for the field management offices. “We knew we needed a wireless office system here at Safeco Field, but the stadium severely limited coverage in vital areas,” says Bob Aylward, Mariners vice president of business and sales. Among those vital areas were the luxury suites, where high-end fans demand coverage. Although the Safeco installation was specifically done for AWS's 800 MHz TDMA network, LGC also installs systems using its LGCell product that provide coverage for all air interfaces. Typical multi-network systems are installed in airports, shopping malls and convention centers, says John Spindler, LGC's product marketing director. “It used to be that the way to give you coverage was to drop a microcell into the facility, using coaxial cable running to a passive antenna structure,” Spindler says. But coaxial cable is expensive, tough to pull and has limited coverage. LGC's fiber-based solution is relatively easy to install and upgrade if conditions warrant, he says. Among the installations of the LGCell system are the Sprint PCS campus in Kansas City; the world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the Vancouver, British Columbia, airport, and several shopping malls. LGC Wireless, founded in May 1996 and backed by venture capital, introduced LGCell two years ago. Its revenue (as well as the number of employees) has more than doubled in the past year, and the company is considering an initial public offering of stock this year, according to David Cutrer, marketing vice president. He says LGC believes a sizeable market for its products will soon appear as wireless carriers start to focus on second-tier network buildout. The core product will continue to be facilities-based networking products for sports arenas, airports, hospitals and other large buildings, but Cutrer says a coming market will be to provide targeted capacity increases in core cities. Instead of putting up more towers and base stations, a carrier can expand its capacity by increasing radio capacity in a central location and using LGC's system and fiber or even microwave to distribute the facilities in an urban area. Cutrer says the company has agreements with several carriers to trial such a system.

To: Cooters who wrote (5092)	1/12/2000 5:03:00 PM
From: engineer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13582

I only hope that the carriers (specifically AIRTOUCH) figure out how to handle this right. I bougha phone wiht my car and the carrier (AIRTOUCH) refuses to help me technically with problems because they sya that the phone belongs to Mercedes and not them. I am positive it is their new basestaion being put in by MOT that is the problem, but I can't get them to even address it without going to MB first. Of course the guys at MB are not very good at cellular, so they don;t understand what I am telling them, so the finger pointing goes on. Meanwhile I got junk in my car and have to carry around a seoncd portable to make calls. If this is what GM is proposing for their customers, then they can forget it.