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NextWave Wireless and Alcatel-Lucent Collaborate on the Development of Next-Generation WiMAX Broadcast Solution

By jimo
Created Mar 13 2008 - 8:47am

 

NextWave MXtvâ„¢ Mobile Multicast and Broadcast Technology to be Integrated into Alcatel-Lucent's WiMAX Base Stations

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2008--NextWave Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: WAVE), a global provider of mobile multimedia and wireless broadband technologies, today announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Alcatel-Lucent to develop advanced WiMAX broadcast solutions for mobile operators worldwide. Under the Agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will integrate NextWave's recently announced MXtv technology into their industry-leading WiMAX solutions portfolio, based on the 802.16e-2005 (Rev-e) standard. The two companies plan to perform a series of interoperability tests with Alcatel-Lucent's commercial WiMAX infrastructure starting in the second quarter of 2008.

Designed to provide WiMAX mobile network operators with a cost-effective and spectrum-efficient solution to tap into the expanding market for mobile TV and broadcast services, MXtv provides fully-integrated broadcast and unicast of voice, data and rich media over each individual stream. To complement the inclusion of its MXtv technology into Alcatel-Lucent's WiMAX network platform, NextWave's MXtv technology has also been integrated into its low-power, Wave 2 compliant NW2000 series WiMAX subscriber device System-on-a-Chip (SoC). The NW2000 series SoC is currently being integrated into a wide range of devices with certain device availability planned for second half of 2008.

MXtv technology is a breakthrough mobile broadcast and multicast solution that allows WiMAX operators to deliver a broad range of rich and personalized multimedia services including mobile TV, interactive services and digital audio without having to invest in new spectrum or additional network infrastructure. Supporting 30 fps QVGA and WQVGA content, with MXtv technology implemented in a 10 MHz channel, WiMAX operators can offer up to 45 broadcast channels, streaming at 300kbps, in a pure broadcast overlay WiMAX network and up to 20 broadcast channels in a hybrid mobile broadcast and broadband offering, and still have more than 55 percent of their mobile broadband capacity remaining for other services. Complementing MXtv technology is PacketVideo's (PV) MediaFusionâ„¢ platform, an end-to-end server-client software solution that seamlessly integrates multimedia services. MediaFusion supports unicast, "networked group" multicast, broadcast and background services such as personal video recording, music, streaming personalized radio, and social networking, with an innovative discovery engine that can drive a number of highly targeted advertising business models. PacketVideo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NextWave Wireless.

"We are thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with Alcatel-Lucent to develop new and highly advanced mobile multimedia offerings on their advanced WiMAX platform," said Allen Salmasi, CEO of NextWave Wireless. "User demand for mobile broadcast services is rapidly expanding and we believe that the exciting new applications offered through this alliance will provide mobile operators a unique ability to deliver the key differentiating feature of 4G networks, rich media content such as live television, movies and music on-demand, real-time video streaming and conferencing, radio, multi-player gaming and many other interactive streaming applications to mobile devices - anywhere, anytime. Given the expected advertising revenue from a wide range of live and cached rich media content delivered to mobile devices, we believe that MXtv will significantly drive network operator's ARPU and minimize churn with more sticky applications," Salmasi added.

"The shared goal of our collaboration with NextWave is to accelerate the mass adoption and delivery of high-performance end-to-end WiMAX solutions for NextWave and Alcatel-Lucent customers," said Philippe Keryer, President of Mobile Access Division of Alcatel-Lucent. "Integrating NextWave's MXtv technology with our industry-leading WiMAX network solutions and strengthening our OPEN CPE program with such new services will be a win-win for mobile network operators and most importantly provides millions of their subscribers with a compelling user experience."

To further drive the acceleration of WiMAX services at the device layer, NextWave's next-generation family of 'No-Compromise' WiMAX semiconductors has integrated the required hardware accelerators to support MXtv technology. NextWave's fully integrated Wi-Fi/WiMAX SoC with advanced 65-nanometer CMOS process technology has incorporated numerous innovations to improve performance, and reduce power consumption. It is also designed to support bandwidth-intensive mobile multimedia applications such as video conferencing and video streaming as well as Quality-of-Service (QoS) sensitive applications such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP). In addition, NextWave's next-generation RFIC, also available in 2008, is designed to support seamless operation and roaming across worldwide WiMAX frequencies, with either TDD or FDD operations, and profiles.

Technical demonstrations of NextWave's mobile WiMAX semiconductor and MXtv technology will be offered at NextWave's booth at the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2008 conference (April 1-3, 2008) in Las Vegas. Visit NextWave Wireless in Booth #5265.

About NextWave Wireless

NextWave Wireless Inc. (Nasdaq: WAVE) is engineering the future of mobility by providing next-generation mobile multimedia and wireless broadband technologies to the world's leading mobile handset manufacturers, consumer electronics manufacturers and wireless service providers. From mobile television and mobile broadband systems to semiconductors and device-embedded mobile multimedia software that can be found in more than 200 million handsets around the globe, NextWave is evolving the way consumers experience mobile multimedia content. In addition, the company's global spectrum footprint allows service providers to deploy next-generation wireless broadband networks utilizing NextWave's advanced wireless broadband products and technologies. For more information, visit NextWave at www.nextwave.com.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprise and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner wit global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 17.8 billion in 2007 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurances that forward-looking statements will be achieved, and actual events or results could differ materially from the events or results predicted by such statements. Important factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially are discussed in greater detail in the filings of NextWave with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such documents are available through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. NextWave makes no commitment to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect subsequent changes in events or circumstances except as may be required pursuant to applicable law.

CONTACT: Media:
Ruder Finn Info
NextWave Wireless Media Relations:
Ruder Finn
Kristie Heins Fox, 312-329-3985
heinsfoxk@RuderFinn.com
or
NextWave Network Products Media Relations:
Suzanne McCormac, + 1 415-577-9135
smccormac@nextwave.com


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