IRVINE, Calif., May 31, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- IBC reported today that Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT), said Wednesday that it expects the number of wireless Internet users to reach 1 billion by 2003 from 260 million users in 1999.
In a Web broadcast with analysts, Bo Hedfors, president of Motorola's network solutions sector, said the market would reach the 1 billion level two years ahead of its original expectations of 2005.
Earlier on Wednesday, the company announced a $30 billion five-year outsourcing deal with Flextronics International Ltd. (Nasdaq:FLEX) and said it would take a small stake in the contract manufacturer.
USURF America, Inc. (AMEX:UAX) today announced that it had named Robert A. (Drew) Hart to the newly created position of Executive Vice President of Technology. USURF is a provider of Fixed-Wireless Internet access products, including Quick-Cell(TM).
Hart will serve as liaison between USURF America and independent telcos, Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) and digital-subscriber-line, or DSL,service providers. Many of these companies are current or former customers of Hart Engineers.
"Drew brings vast experience in both wireless and wire-line communications system engineering and construction," said USURF America President David Loflin. "He understands both the technology of wireless systems and the needs of the market, and has long-standing relationships with numerous companies and telcos, representing between 300 and 400 potential Quick-Cell system sales - in other words, Drew could be our gateway to millions of homes. He has also developed systems involving joint-venture and strategic-alliance models, and has been instrumental in funding many of these ventures and alliances."
"The USURF product is very special," said Hart. "I can see distinctly the fit that it has relative to cable modem and DSL offerings. It is unlicensed, and cost advantages are significant. In many cases, we can provide high-speed Internet access from a single USURF server modem to customers in a one-to-three-mile radius for probably one one-hundredth of the fully allocated capital expense required to provide cable TV modem and DSL service. I'm confident that a substantial number of CLECs and independent telcos will implement this technology as soon as we can deliver it to them."
Hart has served on the board of the Small Business Personal Communications Services (PCS) Association, a national trade association focused on small business applications and opportunities for PCS technology (a universal wireless communications technology). He was chairman of the lobbying committee for this organization as well. He is also a past board member and current member of the Association of Communication Engineers, and current member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers and the Louisiana Engineering Society. Hart is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.
About USURF America
USURF America has developed "Quick-Cell," one of the most flexible fixed-wireless Internet access delivery solutions on the market, one which operates in unlicensed spectrum and can be easily and inexpensively deployed, often in a matter of hours. Quick-Cell's bandwidth speed is scalable, up to and including T1-line equivalent, and bandwidth usage by customers can be monitored and controlled from a single location with USURF America's proprietary software. Quick-Cell service also has so-called voice over Internet (VOIP) capability.
Quick-Cells can be stand-alone, or interfaced to serve a wide geographic area. Because USURF does not have to lease the vast majority of its network from local telcos, it can price "always on, all-you-can-use" Internet access at up to 45% below the cost of comparable traditional local-market hard-wire service. With the Quick-Cell system, no telephone or other wall jack connection is necessary to connect to the Internet over the so-called last mile.
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