Press Release: BigAir launches the first commercial fixed WiMAX services in Sydney and Melbourne

BigAir launches the first commercial fixed WiMAX services in Sydney and Melbourne

SYDNEY, July 31 -— BigAir Group Limited (BigAir), a leading provider of wireless broadband solutions for businesses and residential customers, today announced Australia’s first major Metropolitan WiMAX* networks, deploying Airspan Networks’ 5.8GHz MicroMAX base stations. These networks, being deployed in Sydney and Melbourne, will be the country’s first commercial WiMAX service offerings in its two largest cities. BigAir has already commenced upgrading its existing Sydney network to WiMAX and intends to switch on its Melbourne WiMAX metropolitan network next month. The company has also targeted its Brisbane WiMAX network to be operational before the end of the year.

After conducting a six month extensive technical trial of proprietary wireless, and WiMAX technologies in the 5.8 GHz band, BigAir selected Airspan as its supplier for its rollout of fixed WiMAX services for business customers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

BigAir CEO, Jason Ashton, said “BigAir is pleased to be the only Australian carrier currently offering fixed WiMAX services in the metropolitan markets of Sydney and Melbourne. We plan to continue to expand our WiMAX network to other areas across Australia in order to offer leading services to businesses frustrated with the current limitations of fixed line options”. Mr Ashton added that “BigAir chose to deploy field proven industry leading WiMAX products from Airspan Networks as the extensive testing showed Airspan equipment consistently gave BigAir up to double the performance of competing proprietary systems. WiMAX will allow us to offer, symmetric, business grade broadband at speeds of up to 30 Mbps today with far greater range and reliability than is currently available with proprietary
wireless systems. In the very near future we will offer even higher speeds as WiMAX technology evolves.”

The Airspan WiMAX equipment selected by BigAir contains high performance Intel WiMAX chipsets in the CPE products that BigAir is deploying.

"We are very pleased that BigAir has chosen Airspan for its 5.8GHz WiMAX deployment in Australia”, said Henrik Smith-Petersen, Airspan’s President of Asia Pacific. “Airspan successfully passed the intense and in-depth technical due diligence carried out by BigAir. We are gaining traction with our MicroMAX 5.8GHz product and we believe this deployment with BigAir validates our position as the leading supplier of WiMAX products in Asia Pacific”.

Coverage information, pricing and technical information is available from BigAir’s WiMAX specialists on 1300 BIGAIR.

* WiMAX, and WiMAX Forum are trademarks of the WiMAX Forum

Yours sincerely,
Jason Ashton
Chief Executive Officer
BigAir Group Limited

About BigAir Group Limited (ASX: BGL)

BigAir is a wireless broadband service provider, which offers high-speed data telecommunications services to customers over three state of the art wireless networks in Australia. BigAir owns and operates its own fixed WiMAX network covering the greater Sydney metro area with Melbourne expected to be operational in August 2007. BigAir is also the largest provider of services on the iBurst mobile wireless network which has coverage in most Australian Capital cities as well as the Gold Coast. BigAir also provides services on the Unwired network
which has coverage in Sydney and Melbourne. Access to these three leading wireless networks positions BigAir as the leading integrated wireless solutions provider in Australia. BigAir is able to offer a range of wireless communication solutions including high-speed symmetric fixed broadband services from 2Mbps to 100Mbps, as
well as mobile data and portable data services at 1Mbps. The company also offers email and web hosting as well as data centre co-location services. For more information, please visit www.bigair.com.au.

About Airspan Networks Inc (NASDAQ: AIRN)

Airspan Networks provides wireless voice and broadband data systems and solutions for the fixed and mobile WiMAX and Wi-Fi markets, including Voice Over IP (VoIP). Its wireless products serve operators around the world in both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands between 700 MHz and 6 GHz. Airspan has a strong wireless product roadmap that includes WiMAX Forum Certified equipment and products meeting 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi standards, Airspan’s HiperMAX and MicroMAX base station products support portable and mobile 802.16e-2005 WiMAX alongside fixed and nomadic 802.16-2004 products. Airspan products also include “self install” and professionally installed customer premise equipment. Airspan is on the Board and is a founder member of the WiMAX Forum and a member of the Wi-Fi Alliance. The Company has deployments in more than 100 countries with more than 400 operators, 100 of which use Airspan's WiMAX Forum Certified and non-certified
products. Airspan's wireless systems are based on radio technology that delivers excellent area coverage, high security and resistance to fading. These systems can be deployed rapidly and cost effectively, providing an attractive alternative to traditional wired communications networks. Airspan also offers radio planning, network installation, integration, training and support services to facilitate the deployment and operation of its systems. Airspan is an international telecommunications equipment provider headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. More
information on Airspan can be found at http://www.airspan.com.