ShutterNet Announces High-Speed Internet Alliance with SpeedChoice

PR Newswire, Monday, March 29, 1999 at 13:09

  New Wireless Internet Connections Provide Fast, Cost-Effective Networking
                                  Solutions

    DETROIT, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move to offer even higher speed
Internet services to its corporate customers, ShutterNet signed a strategic
agreement today with SpeedChoice.  ShutterNet, one of Detroit's leading
Internet Service Providers (ISP), will begin to offer its existing and new
corporate customers high-speed data/Internet connections using wireless local
access provided by SpeedChoice, a wholesale Internet Service Provider of
multi-megabit wireless data/Internet connections.
    "ShutterNet is always looking for better ways to increase the
communications throughput for our customers," said Jim Weyand, ShutterNet's
President.  "Wireless technology is one of the newest types of high-speed
access on the market right now.  Once we evaluated the technology and saw how
fast SpeedChoice could provision new connections, it was clear that this was a
service we needed to offer our customers.  Even better, the wireless
technology offers faster speeds for a fraction of the cost that the local
telephone company would charge for the same service."
    "In today's marketplace, being first to market with new products and
services is crucial," stated Matt Oristano, SpeedChoice CEO and Chairman.
"SpeedChoice is the first and only provider of high-speed wireless
data/Internet connections in Detroit using an exclusive 200 Megahertz (MHz) of
dedicated radio wave spectrum.  Sending signals through the air avoids certain
problems that many telephone and cable companies are currently experiencing as
they try to roll out competitive services such as Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL) or Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) cable modem technology.  Our wireless
signal is secure, robust and available right now for most businesses inside
our Detroit transmitter's 70 mile coverage area."
    The new alliance creates an effective combination of ShutterNet's Network
Operation Center (NOC) and SpeedChoice's Wireless Metropolitan Area Network
(WMAN).  ShutterNet NOC engineers proactively monitor each customer's Internet
connection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Using network management
experience, diagnostic tools and documented processes, ShutterNet can respond
quickly and effectively if network problems occur.

    What is Wireless Internet/Data Access?
    The broadband WMAN access provided by SpeedChoice is powered by a new
generation of an established wireless technology called Multi-channel
Multi-point Distribution Service (MMDS).  It is a proven radio wave wireless
technology, which has been used for television signal transmission for more
than 30 years and more recently has been digitized and adopted to beam data
and Internet traffic to a customer's premise.
    The MMDS wireless spectrum originally consisted of 33 analog video
channels, each of which were 6 MHz wide.  The evolution of video technology
into digital has allowed SpeedChoice to convert these 33 analog MMDS channels
into 99 digital data streams, each transmitting at 10 Megabits per second
(Mbps).  Therefore, SpeedChoice has close to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) of
capacity from each transmitter, a kind of "Fiber-in-the-Sky (sm)."
    The service is delivered using terrestrial based radio transmitters
located at the tallest feasible location in a metropolitan area.  In Detroit,
for example, the transmitter is located on a broadcast television tower.  Each
customer obtains the MMDS signal with a small 10" digital receiver placed at
the customer's location with line of sight to the transmitter.
    MMDS frequencies allow ShutterNet to provide precise, clear, wide-ranging
signal coverage.  Unlike services using the unlicensed Industrial Scientific
Medical (ISM) spectrum, customers are protected from interference from other
users.  And, unlike other wireless technologies such as Local Multi-point
Distribution Services (LMDS) or satellite transmission, rain, snow, and/or fog
do not interfere with MMDS' signal performance.
    Since radio waves are wireless, the technology does not require large
networks of cable/copper plant and amplifiers utilized by traditional
cable/telephone companies.  Thus, unlike the Regional Bell Operating Companies
(RBOCs) and Cable Companies that will spend years upgrading thousands of miles
of outdated network cable plant, wireless technology is a reliable and low
cost solution that is available right now.
    Customers simply install a wireless modem on their premise and connect it
to their Local Area Network (LAN) or individual PC or Macintosh computer.
Once they are hooked up, they are connected to a 10 Megabits-per-second (Mbps)
downstream channel for Internet and/or data communications.  The solution uses
existing telephone lines, ISDN or T1's to carry upstream information requests
back to the Internet.
    The combination of SpeedChoice's high-speed wireless communications and
ShutterNet's proactive monitoring NOC provides customers with the fast and
robust Internet connections required when deploying mission critical business
applications over the Internet.

    Availability/Pricing
    Beginning in early April, ShutterNet's existing customers can add the
high-speed options.  ShutterNet will provide all of the necessary integration
services.  Customers who are upgrading from existing services will be able to
retain their current email settings or IP settings.  The high-speed wireless
configuration is a very economical way for companies to significantly increase
their company's bandwidth to the Internet.  The service offers a wide range of
business-to-business pricing that is designed to meet the individual
requirements of any business.

    About ShutterNet
    ShutterNet is a premier corporate Internet Service Provider serving the
metropolitan Detroit and Lansing business communities.  A division of Computer
Data, Inc., ShutterNet has over 30 years of combined network and Internet
integration experience.  Focusing on internetworking solutions, the company
provides complete custom system integration of the Internet into a
corporation's network environment.  ShutterNet is a member of the Automotive
Industry Action Group (AIAG).  For more information on ShutterNet's products
and services, please call 248-544-2930 or visit the company's web site on the
Internet at shutter.net.

    About SpeedChoice
    SpeedChoice is a high-speed wireless access service provider that owns,
develops and operates broadband data, Internet and/or video distribution
systems in nine major metropolitan markets in the Midwest and Southwestern
United States through its "Fiber-in-the-Sky"(sm) network.  The company has the
largest base of installed broadband wireless Internet customers using MMDS
spectrum.  In addition to data and Internet access connections, the company
provides a suite of Internet services including network integration, web
hosting, web site filtering, email, newsgroups, etc.  More information on
SpeedChoice's products and services is available at speedchoice.com
or by calling 888-773-3324.  SpeedChoice is a wholly owned subsidiary of
People's Choice TV Corp. (BB: PCTV).

    Special Note:  Statements in this press release that relate to future
results and events are based on the Company's current expectations.  Actual
results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected
due to risks, uncertainties, and other factors.  Information covering risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially
from projected statements can be found in the Company's periodic filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE  ShutterNet
    -0-                             03/29/99
    /CONTACT:  Robert Hoskins of SpeedChoice PR, 817-314-0362,
rhoskins@speedchoice.com, for ShutterNet/
    /Web site:  pchoicetv.com
    /Web site:  shutter.net
    /Web site:  speedchoice.com