SOMA Networks Unveils FlexMAX™ Wireless Platform

CTIA Wireless 2006 --- LAS VEGAS, April 5, 2006 – SOMA Networks, Inc., a leading provider of last-mile broadband wireless access technology, today unveiled the FlexMAX™ Wireless Platform, based on the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard.  With the FlexMAX platform, SOMA Networks is leading the way to mobile WiMAX by offering carriers the industry’s first fully converged, all-IP multimedia system that accelerates time-to-market, minimizes risk, and reduces cost to deploy differentiated applications. By using FlexMAX, service providers worldwide will benefit from an exceptional range of services and the ability to deliver economical multimedia applications to residential and small business subscribers anywhere.

Carrier competitiveness will depend on the ability to offer a wide range of state-of-the-art, revenue-generating applications.  The FlexMAX Platform will provide a turnkey voice and data applications platform, while leveraging the full economic and technical benefits of the WiMAX Forum™ ecosystem. Designed to meet the business case requirements of global carriers, the platform addresses the technical problems associated with delivering revenue-quality voice services, the ability to offer video and data services, as well as future IMS-based applications. FlexMAX incorporates SOMA’s SoftAir integration layer, guaranteeing SOMA’s customers a future-proof solution with a simple evolution path to WiMAX mobility and other advanced features, as well as long-range, low-cost base stations and a portfolio of exciting customer devices.

“In the context of standardized PHY and MAC layers, an end-to-end systems approach will be exceptionally attractive for operators who want to offer multimedia services such as VoIP and video over future mobile WiMAX technology," said Adlane Fellah, Senior Analyst and CEO of Maravedis, Inc. “Until now, the industry has focused on the components of a system, but carriers want profitable, turnkey equipment solutions that can quickly deliver compelling services and applications. Given SOMA’s strength in delivering fully integrated VoIP and its strong partnerships with market leaders, the company is well positioned to deliver multimedia services with an evolution path to mobile services."

“WiMAX has the potential to eliminate the barriers to ubiquitous broadband access and accelerate the delivery of broadband wireless services to people around the world,” said Greg Caltabiano, President and Chief Operating Officer of SOMA Networks.  “802.16e-2005 standards will ensure interoperability and future mobility for carriers, but they will also want to differentiate their service offerings. SOMA delivers the key to service differentiation with the FlexMAX platform. By integrating the advantages of 802.16e-2005, such as advanced antenna technologies, capabilities for converged fixed, nomadic, and mobile devices with the SoftAir™ Wireless System, SOMA is empowering its customers to deliver unrivalled multimedia services over the most advanced wireless equipment on the market.”

The FlexMAX portfolio extends beyond individual WiMAX products to encompass a complete broadband wireless system portfolio, including: portable devices, subscriber gateway products, antenna processing, traffic management middleware, integrated applications, network management, and network gateways - all backed by world-class partners, global field support, and professional services. The company will be one of the first vendors to complete WiMAX Forum™ certification testing upon final ratification of the 802.16e-2005 testing process by the WiMAX Forum. 

SOMA will be among the first to offer FlexMAX products in both FDD and TDD versions, covering the full range of licensed frequency bands for both current and expected future profiles, namely: 700 MHz, 1.7/2.1 GHz, 2.3-2.7 GHz and 3.3-3.8 GHz bands. Current WiMAX-ready products are software upgradeable to the FlexMAX platform. SOMA Networks is working closely with service providers worldwide to build out their deployments to offer the full range of services available from such highly converged networks.

NOTE: Visit SOMA Networks in the WiMAX Forum booth #4159 at CTIA Wireless 2006 in Las Vegas, April 5-7, 2006. 

About SOMA Networks

SOMA Networks, a broadband wireless access market leader, enables communications providers to realize the fastest time to market, the highest average revenue per subscriber and shortest path to return on investment with the SoftAir™ Wireless System; the industry’s only converged all-IP Multimedia Applications Platform, including base stations and non-line-of-sight subscriber gateways. By combining WiMAX standards with advanced antenna technologies, distributed computing, Internet protocols, and revenue-quality VoIP, the SoftAir Wireless System provides unmatched quality of service, subscriber density, and cell coverage to deliver wireline performance over a broadband wireless infrastructure. Service providers worldwide have deployed SOMA Networks award winning base stations and subscriber gateways because of the superior business case, deployability, support for 700 MHz - 3.5 GHz spectrum bands, multi-megabit data rates, superior voice quality, non-line-of-sight access, and subscriber self-installation and service activation. A principal member of the WiMAX Forum™, SOMA Networks is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with offices in Dallas, Ottawa, Toronto, and Singapore. For more information, please visit: http://www.somanetworks.com.