Manchester Metronet Accelerates Rollout of Public Safety CCTV Applications with BridgeWave's...

Manchester Metronet Accelerates Rollout of Public Safety CCTV Applications with BridgeWave's High-Capacity Gigabit Wireless Backhaul Links

UK-Based Network Operator Achieves ROI in Under Six Months
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
BridgeWave Communications, the leading supplier of gigabit
wireless solutions, today announced that Manchester Metronet, a
UK-based broadband wireless network service provider, has deployed two
BridgeWave GE80 gigabit wireless links as well as four FE80UX
gigabit-upgradeable wireless links to extend the reach of its
metropolitan area network (MAN). The newly deployed links, while
expediting delivery of Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) surveillance
capabilities for the Manchester City Council and Manchester Greater
Police, has helped Manchester Metronet achieve a return-on-investment
(ROI) in less than six months.

Manchester Metronet's high-speed wireless Internet services
undercut the costs of traditional service provider offerings by as
much as 80 percent, without any compromise in performance or quality
of service. The network operator also supports a host of compelling
applications, including inter-office connectivity for converged IP
voice, data and streaming video; business broadband backup circuits
and disaster recovery; as well as real-time CCTV monitoring.

For Manchester City Council, an increase in real-time video
surveillance created network congestion at one of its control centers
when a 100 Mbps backhaul link became oversaturated with video traffic.
Manchester Metronet opted for gigabit wireless when fiber-optic leased
line services weren't readily available. The network operator
installed its first BridgeWave's GE80 product, which operates in the
licensed 80 GHz frequency spectrum, to connect its fiber backbone ring
to the council's control center, located less than two miles away.

BridgeWave's gigabit wireless link provides ample bandwidth to
support more than 200 CCTV cameras on the same link while ultra
low-latency transmission enables real-time pan, tilt and zoom of
remote cameras without time delays or reduction in image quality.
Manchester Metronet soon found other opportunities to deploy a second
GE80 link and four gigabit-upgradeable FE80U links to support a range
of bandwidth-intensive applications and remote CCTV monitoring for the
city council and the Greater Manchester Police.

BridgeWave's gigabit wireless links provide maximum capacity for
the highest traffic network segments, while the gigabit-upgradeable
products offer a "future proof" backbone technology for scaling
Manchester Metronet's network as traffic grows.

"BridgeWave's gigabit wireless products provide major cost savings
and time-to-market advantages, giving us a distinct competitive edge
over legacy service providers with voice, data and video offerings
priced well below the incumbent's fees," says Elliott Mueller, CEO of
Manchester Metronet. "Superior flexibility is another plus, including
the ability to let customers take links to new locations and easily
connect to a different point of presence on the network."

Manchester Metronet recently expanded into the Liverpool area to
support new CCTV remote monitoring projects while also working with
private corporations to accommodate high-speed data access, IPTV and
VoIP applications. The network operator projects a complete ROI on its
existing BridgeWave links in less than six months and expects to add
more gigabit wireless radios to keep pace with rapid growth in
Manchester as well as support market momentum in Liverpool.

"We are seeing a strong demand for 80 GHz gigabit wireless links
from network operators and private enterprise users," says Tim Close,
managing director of 802Global, BridgeWave's UK-based distributor.
"Manchester Metronet's accelerated multi-gigabit network rollout
demonstrates the unique value proposition that these products provide,
offering performance levels well beyond what is possible using
traditional lower-frequency alternatives."

According to Gregg Levin, chief marketing officer for BridgeWave
Communications, "The UK was an early European adopter of the new 80
GHz spectrum band, allowing operators such as Manchester Metronet to
overcome the limitations of fiber availability and cost. Based on the
ongoing work of European standards bodies and country spectrum
regulators, we expect this band to soon become available for use
throughout Europe, providing the benefits of gigabit wireless
technology for operators region-wide."

About BridgeWave Communications

Founded in 1999, BridgeWave Communications is the leading supplier
of Gigabit Ethernet outdoor wireless connectivity solutions. The
company's exclusive AdaptRate(TM) technology and Forward Error
Correction capabilities deliver the highest availability at the
longest distances for full-rate GigE solutions. BridgeWave's
point-to-point, fixed wireless solutions are ideally suited for a wide
variety of enterprise, service provider, healthcare, education, public
safety and government/military network applications. With the largest
installed base of GigE radios worldwide, BridgeWave delivers the
highest levels of product quality and reliability. For more
information, visit www.bridgewave.com.

BridgeWave Communications
Gita Rao-Prasad, +1-408-567-6914
gitar@bridgewave.com
or
HetzelMeade Communications
Sue Hetzel, +1-760-434-9927
sue@hetzelmeade.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008