Europe : German communications provider Airdata AG launched commercial services built on IPWirelessTM Mobile Broadband technology in Stuttgart, marking the first commercial deployment in Europe of broadband wireless services based on the data-optimized UMTS TD-CDMA variation of the 3G standard.

After an extensive and successful trial deployment, we are pleased to power Airdatas new commercial PortableDSL service in Stuttgart,said Chris Gilbert, CEO of IPWireless. Airdata is a forward-looking provider that understands that subscribers want the speed, freedom, ease, and convenience that IPWirelesstechnology enables. With spectrum licenses in all major areas of Germany, Airdata is well-positioned to offer the most advanced broadband services in Europe.

Fast and Portable Internet Access

- With PortableDSL, Airdata AG offers for the first time in Europe a portable way of accessing the Internet that uses the new 3G standards.

- The mayor of Stuttgart, Mr. Wolfgang Schuster, will commercially launch this innovative technology, which comes after completion of a successful trial.

- It is now possible to use the Internet wirelessly in almost every part of Stuttgart at ISDN speeds (128 Kbit/s) or DSL speeds (768 Kbit/s).

Those who live and work in Stuttgart can now get excited about the way they access the Internet. Subscribers can use the Internet in the office and at home, at a friends house or during a conversation in the next office, at the train station or at the airport -- with high download and upload speeds and without ever needing a telephone line. Mobile workers are now able to connect to the company network while meeting in person with customers; technicians can download datasheets at the construction site; and teachers and students can reach the web in every classroom.

This is all made possible by the network built by Airdata over the last few months. The network uses the IPWireless Mobile Broadband system, which is based on the TD-CDMA variation of the worldwide IMT-2000 standard, also known as 3G, which allows for both voice and data transmission. The new network allows for connectivity far beyond distances covered by WLAN hotspots, creating instead much larger hotzones,which are comparable in size to mobile phone coverage areas. In addition, the user does not need subscriptions with multiple providers as is the case when moving from hotspot to hotspot today, nor have to pay any additional usage fees that hotspots currently require.

The network leverages the secure 3G standard, so setup for the service is simple: insert the SIM card into the modem, connect the modem to the computer, and enter the user name and password. There is no need to connect to a phone outlet, and there is no additional hardware or software. No larger than a cellular phone, the modem is very small and handy.

In addition to the unprecedented convenience and ease of use PortableDSL offers, the new service is priced very competitively. Customers get an Internet connection that goes anywhere for the same price as a fixed connection, with the benefit of always on,24-hours-a-day connectivity formerly only available with a DSL connection. Charges include only the Internet flat rate, the monthly connection fee, and the one time charge for the modem and installation. Airdata's partner Next Generation Internet (NGI) offers PortableDSL 128 at a flat rate of only euro9.95 per month, plus a connection fee of euro14.95 per month. NGI PortableDSL 768 costs euro 19.95 for the Internet flat rate, euro 24..95 for the monthly connection fee.

Whether using PortableDSL 128 or 768, the connection is wireless and, therefore, is an attractive alternative to traditional fixed line services since even voice will be possible through this access method, giving subscribers the most flexible data and voice communications solution available today.

Airdata AG has been offering the new service on a trial basis through ISPs in Stuttgart. Trial users have included not only private individuals but also self-employed workers and enterprises, since the large reach of PortableDSL gives business professional many potential ways to increase productivity and save time and money. On October 3, based on the trial service, NGI was given an outstanding grade of 1.7 as an Internet-Provider in the consumer magazine Stiftung Warentest.