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Nextlink is initially
launching service in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Tampa and
Washington, DC, with additional market launches over the next two
years. Nextlink is currently providing broadband wireless services to a
major national wireless company, delivering wireless backhaul and
network redundancy and diversity services across markets in south
Florida. In conjunction with the launch of its services, Nextlink also
announced today the selection of Hughes Network Systems, LLC as its
strategic wireless equipment supplier.
Nextlink’s services
debut as the market forces of competition and convergence place new
demands on organizations to provide high capacity, next generation
services more cost-effectively over their networks. These demands
include supporting next generation mobility applications and content,
and finding new local broadband access alternatives to incumbent
telephone companies. Nextlink will fill a critical gap for customers
that require higher speed broadband access but are constrained by the
limitations of copper and fiber. Last-mile copper connections do not
scale to meet high bandwidth demands, while fiber is too costly and
time-consuming to deploy, or simply not available.
“With Nextlink, fixed
broadband wireless comes of age at the right time and supports the right
applications, offering customers secure, reliable, high capacity
communications that can be deployed quickly,” said Tom Cady, Nextlink’s
president. “Service providers, government agencies, and businesses now
have a viable broadband wireless alternative to meet their
mission-critical communications requirements. With an average of nearly
1 GHz of licensed spectrum in more than 70 markets, Nextlink can deliver
high-speed broadband wireless services to more customers than any other
fixed wireless spectrum holder.”
Yankee Group Vice
President Philip Marshall said, “We see strong potential for broadband
fixed wireless solutions in the wireless marketplace. Next generation
network overlays for 3G and beyond will require significant incremental
transmission investments if operators continue to resort to wireline
solutions. Nextlink provides a high-value alternative for providers
that seek to optimize backhaul networks and ensure high bandwidth
connectivity.”
Nextlink
Services
Nextlink’s services are “fixed wireless” broadband offerings that rely
on licensed local multipoint distribution system (LMDS) wireless
spectrum in the 28GHz – 31GHz range. For locations up to seven miles
and in line-of-sight of a Nextlink wireless hub, Nextlink provides
wireless broadband services with speeds from 1.544 Mbps (T-1) up to 622
Mbps (OC-12). Nextlink’s services include:
- Wireless T-1:
- Provides
wireless service providers with a cost-effective and reliable
alternative to copper-based backhaul connectivity to cellular sites
as well as offering an additional layer of network redundancy.
Customers can also seamlessly transition from Wireless T-1 to
Wireless Ethernet to support more advanced mobility applications and
content.
- Provides
wireline communications service providers with a new “last-mile”
access alternative to support their customers.
- Wireless Metro
Ethernet:
- Provides mobile
wireless service providers with a highly scalable cell site backhaul
solution to support more bandwidth intensive next generation
mobility applications and content.
- Provides
businesses and government agencies with broadband connectivity to
support bandwidth intensive applications including, LAN-to-LAN
networking, videoconferencing, distance learning, and IP telephony.
- Wireless Dedicated
Internet Access:
- Provides
high-speed Internet connections at dedicated transmission rates for
businesses or government organizations in locations that lack direct
fiber connectivity.
“The prospects for
fixed broadband wireless in the wide area network Ethernet market may
prove to be every bit as promising as in the wireless backhaul arena,”
said Josh Holbrook, Yankee Group senior analyst, Telecommunications
Strategies. “Ethernet vertical markets including education, finance,
government, health care and manufacturing are a natural fit for
broadband wireless, and Nextlink can address 75% of the total market.”
Nextlink
Wireless Network Overview
The Nextlink wireless network architecture consists of wireless hubs
that are connected to a wireline IP network and remote terminals located
at the customer’s premises, which can be a building or a cellular site.
Carrier grade point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communications (up
to 99.999 percent reliability) between hubs and receivers can span a
distance up to seven miles. Radio receivers support both T-1 and
Ethernet, easing the transition from circuit-switched, TDM networks to
an IP infrastructure positioned for next generation service fulfillment.
About
Nextlink
Nextlink, a subsidiary of XO Holdings, Inc., provides broadband wireless
services to the wireless and wireline communications service provider,
business and government markets. As one of the nation’s largest holders
of fixed wireless spectrum, Nextlink delivers high-quality,
carrier-grade wireless access solutions that scale to meet the demands
of today’s converged world of
communications – supporting next-generation mobile and wireline voice,
data and video applications. For additional information, visit
www.nextlink.com.
About XO
Holdings
XO Holdings (OTCBB: XOHO.OB) is the holding company of XO
Communications, LLC and Nextlink. XO Communications is a leading
provider of national and local telecommunications services to
businesses, large enterprises and telecommunications companies. XO
Communications offers a complete portfolio of services, including local
and long distance voice, dedicated Internet access, private networking,
data transport, and Web hosting services as well as bundled voice and
Internet solutions. XO Communications provides these services over an
advanced, national facilities-based IP network and serves more than 70
metropolitan markets across the United States. Nextlink is one of the
nation’s largest owners of fixed wireless spectrum covering more than 70
metropolitan markets nationwide and provides wireless broadband services
to businesses, wireless service providers and other carriers. For more
information, visit
www.xo.com.
Forward
Looking Statement Note
The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts
are “forward-looking statements” (as such term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and
uncertainties. These statements include those describing XO and
Nextlink’s expected future business and network operations and results
of operations, XO and Nextlink’s ability to increase sales, XO and
Nextlink’s ability to service the growing demand for high-bandwidth
broadband wireless services, and XO and Nextlink’s ability to operate
its wireless business. Management cautions the reader that these
forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to a
number of both known and unknown risks and uncertainties and actual
results, performance, and/or achievements of Nextlink and XO may differ
materially from the future results, performance, and/or achievements
expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of
a number of factors. These factors include, without limitation, those
risks and uncertainties described from time to time in the reports filed
by XO Holdings, Inc. (as the successor issuer to XO Communications,
Inc.) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and its
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. XO undertakes no obligation to update
any forward-looking statements.
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