Tropos Extends Performance Leadership with Introduction of 802.11n Compatible Outdoor Wireless Mesh Routers

List Price Reductions of Up to 29 Percent on Legacy Fixed Wireless Routers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Tropos Networks, the market leader in wireless IP broadband mesh networks,
announced immediate availability of a new line of routers that support 802.11n.
The routers combine powerful capabilities of the 802.11n draft standard,
custom-built, outdoor-optimized radios, and the patented Tropos Mesh OS to
deliver the highest outdoor performance available. The 802.11n-based routers are
fully interoperable with Tropos` existing line of fixed and mobile mesh routers,
used worldwide by utilities and municipalities to build greener, smarter, safer
communities.

By adding the powerful 802.11n technology to its routers, Tropos further
increases its leadership in product performance. Tropos` previous generation of
802.11a/b/g wireless broadband routers have consistently outperformed competing
products by two to three times in field tests conducted by customers and third
parties. The attributes of system performance assessed include latency,
availability, coverage, and client access.

Tropos` 802.11n Based Products Proven to Deliver Superior Performance

Tropos 802.11n compatible routers have been operational in customers` production
networks for more than six months. Below is a summary of actual field test
results of the new routers in a live customer network with low-power mobile
clients and smart phones.

* Latency reduction of up to 50 percent within the mesh, and dramatic increases
in throughput
* An increase of over 20% in coverage area, and higher data rates within the
coverage footprint
* Two to three times gains in uplink performance as a result of greater signal
strength - applicable to both 802.11n and legacy 802.11b/g clients

"We installed Tropos 6320 and 7320 routers and they just worked," said Richard
Gracyk, network administrator for the City of Lompoc, California. "It took us
about ten minutes to remove an old router and hang a new one; the new nodes
immediately and seamlessly meshed with our existing network. To test the
performance of the Tropos 6320, we replaced a cluster of our Tropos 5210 nodes
with 6320s, and saw a node-to-node throughput increase from 6 Mbps to 15 Mbps.
The new cluster has operated without any issues and we have had no calls for
service from our customers."

"Savannah`s public safety department has been using Tropos to connect video
surveillance cameras and for field officer communications with excellent
results," said Brad Goodman, network manager for the City of Savannah, Georgia.
"Video is a high-bandwidth application and as we add additional cameras to the
network, the Tropos 6320 provides the high level of node-to-node performance we
want. As we add additional municipal and digital inclusion projects to the
network, this is an important consideration."

Tropos 802.11n Compatible Routers

Each of the new line of routers can be deployed as a gateway or a node and
incorporates robust capabilities of the 802.11n draft standard.

Tropos 7320 Outdoor Mesh Router - a high performance dual radio (2.4 GHz and 5
GHz) router with flexible configuration options. Its modular form factor can
accommodate different types of antennas depending upon desired coverage area,
and its flexible power input simplifies site design and power source planning.
Two integrated Ethernet ports can supply Power over Ethernet (PoE), eliminating
the need for separate power connections and simplifying the deployment of
utility metering collectors, video cameras, and capacity injection devices. An
optional integrated battery backup module provides even greater system
resiliency.

Tropos 6320 Outdoor Mesh Router - a high-performance fixed configuration dual
radio (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) router that supports mesh and client connectivity on
both bands for superior performance, resiliency and capacity. Its light weight
and compact design allows it to be mounted almost anywhere, simplifying
deployment.

Tropos 6310 Outdoor Mesh Router - a high-performance fixed configuration single
radio (2.4 GHz) router that provides an economic solution for networks with
lighter traffic loads or for fill-in connectivity in larger scale networks.
Similar to the Tropos 6320, it is light weight and has a compact design,
simplifying deployment and enabling mounting almost anywhere.

Customers

Typical customer broadband mesh network installations are expected to
incorporate a blend of the Tropos 802.11n capable routers -- for example, often
the 7320 will be selected for installation as a gateway, or where there is a
third party device connected directly for power, or where there is need for high
resiliency and battery backup. The 6320/6310 routers will typically be selected
as mesh nodes with their smaller, light weight form factor which simplifies
installation, and where battery backup or POE power sourcing is not needed.

The new line of 802.11n based routers were designed to be fully backward
compatible, enabling any combination of Tropos routers to participate in the
same broadband mesh network. This provides investment protection for customers
and enables them to selectively add the new routers as the need for higher
performance or expanded coverage is required.

In addition to the cities of Lompoc and Savannah, customers using the new Tropos
802.11n based routers today include Fullerton, CA, and Google (Mountain View,
CA). There are also several customers with pilot installations of the new
products.

"In keeping with our tradition of technology leadership, we are introducing the
802.11n based products that deliver the next generation of wireless broadband
networking solutions," said Tom Ayers, president and CEO of Tropos. "We are
extremely excited about the performance results of our new products and the
potential applications they open up for our customers."

Significant Price Reduction on Legacy Routers

Tropos is announcing list prices have been reduced up to 29 percent on select
models of its legacy outdoor wireless broadband routers which provide support
for 802.11a/b/g. The price changes are effective immediately; customers should
contact their Tropos reseller for details.

About Tropos Networks, Inc.

Tropos Networks is the worldwide market leader in wireless IP broadband mesh
networks. Its solutions create greener, safer, smarter IP foundations for
deployment of high-value applications that increase efficiencies and reduce
operational costs. Greener - smart grid, automated meter reading and intelligent
transportation systems. Safer - mobile public safety communications and IP video
surveillance. Smarter - enabling mobile workers to easily access the same
information in the field as from their office. Tropos delivers the highest
levels of reliability, scalability, and security in the industry with more than
750 customers in over 30 countries. Founded in 2000, Tropos Networks is
headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit
www.tropos.com, call 408-331-6800 or write to info@tropos.com. Tropos is a
registered trademark of Tropos Networks, Inc.

Tropos Networks
Denise Barton, 408-470-7397
denise.barton@tropos.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009