Bellevue, Wash. -- (Editor's Note: This release was issued by Advanced Radio Telecom) Advanced Radio Telecom Corp. (NASDAQ: ARTT) today announced plans to build a network in Oslo, Norway. ART plans to deliver a suite of Internet services on a test basis beginning next month. The new network will use ART Nordic AB's 26GHz nationwide commercial spectrum license to connect users via point-to-multipoint fixed wireless technology to a fiber optic and IP/ATM backbone network supplied by ART's primary equipment vendor and systems integrator, Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU).
"We are excited to be opening our first international market," said Henry "Harry" C. Hirsch, ART chairman and CEO. "The opportunity to provide small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe with high-speed data services directly connecting them to the Internet is exciting. We are pleased to collaborate with Lucent in building a state-of-the-art broadband data network to introduce our suite of Internet services to the Norwegian business community."
ART initially plans to launch a pilot network in downtown Oslo, involving a limited number of buildings to test the delivery of Internet access and enhanced services. The Oslo network will be ART's first deployment of Lucent's OnDemand wireless broadband network. It integrates a high-performance point-to-multipoint system from Netro Corporation, under an original equipment manufacturing agreement with Lucent. In addition, core services from the suite of Lucent Technologies NetCareŽ will give ART the support it needs, including equipment installation, ongoing maintenance and overall program management.
"We are launching our European business in Oslo, because the Nordic region business customers are leading the international markets in adoption of Internet services," said Trond Johannessen, ART vice president, international business development. "This is the first step in building a high-speed Nordic network that can support the requirements of electronic commerce. Later, we expect to tie the Nordic network in with our projected United Kingdom network, completing the northern part of a future pan-European network. We will bring the dynamic services of the information highway right to the small and medium-sized enterprises' doorstep."
The pilot system is expected to use IP and ATM protocols to initially provide users with Internet access at speeds up to 2Mbps, and the system is scalable to hundreds of users. The network will be monitored and provisioned by ART's 24x7 network management center at its headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. The test phase is scheduled to run for about 90 days. During the trial period, ART plans to add other value-added services currently being offered in the U.S.
About ART
Advanced Radio Telecom is a facilities-based, broadband ISP providing a direct connection between the customer premises and the Internet. ART owns and operates metropolitan area networks in Seattle, Portland and Phoenix using fixed wireless and fiber optic technologies. ART owns or manages 38GHz spectrum licenses in more than 210 markets in the U.S., including 49 of the top 50 and 90 of the top 100 markets. ART also owns 26GHz and/or 38GHz spectrum licenses in several European countries. With Lucent Technologies as its network systems integrator and provider of wireless and data networking solutions, ART offers a full range of Internet services including dedicated Internet access at speeds up to 10Mbps, e-mail, Web hosting and Web design, domain name server (DNS) registration, IP Fax and more. For more information, please visit ART's Web site at http://www.art-net.net.
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