Nobell Selects California Microwave's Wireless Broadband Access System

Sunnyvale, CA-based California Microwave Inc. has signed a contract with Nobell Communications Inc. to supply a 5 GHz (U-NII) version of its AB-Access point-to-multipoint wireless broadband network access product family.

Under the contract, Nobell will pilot the AB-Access equipment using a range of real-life applications. The embedded proprietary technology in AB-Access will enable Nobell's customers to utilize simultaneous video conferencing, full-motion streaming video, and high-speed connections to the Internet over a single connection, at speeds 450 times faster than conventional modem networks. Based on a successful pilot, Nobell intends to use AB-Access in its region-wide deployment.

AB-Access is a point-to-multipoint, packet-on-demand technology that allows network users to simultaneously share the available frequency spectrum using a bandwidth management system. The packet-on-demand approach of AB-Access enables support of more users than circuit-based access techniques by interleaving many different users within a single channel and providing bandwidth, on a packet-by-packet basis, only as needed.

Nobell is an Austin-TX based Internet and telecommunications service provider. California Microwave Inc. is a supplier of terrestrial wireless and satellite-based systems to support ultra-high speed Internet access, broadcast digital TV transport and worldwide Internet backbones. Effective April 29, 1999, California Microwave is changing its name to Adaptive Broadband Corp. (ADAP; see California Microwave Sells Government Business, Changes Name).