KT Corp Trialing Navini's Wide-Area Wireless Broadband System in Korea; World's Largest Broadband Provider to Test Navini Ripwave Solution

RICHARDSON, Texas and SEOUL, South Korea, May 29 /Wi-Fi Technology News/ -- KT Corp, formerly known as Korea Telecom, (NYSE: KTC; KOSPI: 30200), the world's largest broadband service provider, has announced plans to trial 2.3 GHz systems from Navini Networks, the global leader in zero-install(TM), non-line- of-sight (NLOS) wide-area wireless broadband technology. This field trial uses spectrum defined by the Korean government as high-speed wireless Internet service called PI (Portable Internet). Both parties will collaborate to further refine the technical and market requirements for broadband mobility for today's competitive marketplace.

South Korea has the highest broadband penetration rate in the world. The Korean government has been extremely proactive in encouraging broadband investment by local businesses. KT is trialing the next-generation of broadband products to offer their customers truly portable, untethered access, furthering their dominance in offering the most advanced technology available.


"Until recently, broadband users could only choose a wired solution, but now advanced technology from companies like Navini will ensure that KT can rapidly deploy wireless broadband data communications, and allow our customers full freedom of movement similar to that afforded by our cellular voice networks," said Mr. Park, Jung-Tae, vice president of KT Corp. "Navini's non- line-of-sight wireless broadband technology enabled by sophisticated smart antennas has the potential to extend and help differentiate our existing ADSL broadband services."


Using Navini's Ripwave technology and its new PCMCIA modem, KT's trial participants will experience multi-megabit network speeds, a zero-install(TM) plug-and-play experience, and untethered wide-area wireless broadband access anywhere within the coverage area. In addition, KT operates the highest number of Wi-Fi hot-spots in the world, and will test the extension of those hot spots using Navini Ripwave equipment, to allow users to seamlessly roam between hot-spots and the Navini system, creating a "hot zone." Navini uses phased-array smart antennas with beamforming capabilities and multi-carrier synchronous CDMA (MC-SCDMA) to provide capacity, range, speeds and spectral efficiency unmatched by other technology providers.


"Korea is at the forefront of IT infrastructure and mobile technology, and we are very pleased to work with the progressive team at KT on this trial to demonstrate that HPI, using Navini products, is a viable business for KT," said Alastair Westgarth, president and chief executive of Navini Networks.


The field trial is being conducted in Seoul, starting in May 2003.

About KT Corp

KT is the largest and the most sophisticated communication network company in Korea. KT was founded on Dec. 10, 1981, to contribute to social welfare and convenience in everyday life by operating an efficient telecommunications service and developing telecommunications technology. KT announced the space communications era by launching Korea's first satellite, Koreasat 1, followed by Koreasat 2 and 3 over the next few years. KT led Korea into the information age as the nation's major communications company. KT's broadband service (Megapass) caused a great sensation in the domestic high-speed Internet market. Megapass surpassed 5 million subscribers in Jan. 16, 2003 with a domestic market share up to 48%. KT wrapped up the privatization process selling the entire government stake. KT promotes 2.3 GHz Portable Internet service as one of 4 key businesses in 2003. KT will be reborne, not as the public telephone company, but as a progressive and creative company that will lead the way in the global information and telecommunications field.


About Navini Networks


Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, the heart of the Telecom Corridor, Navini Networks offers patented wide-area wireless broadband technology delivering multi-megabit speeds to customers up to 8 miles from the base station. Navini was founded by successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur Wu-Fu Chen and industry expert Dr. Guanghan Xu, and provides nomadic, zero-install, non-line-of-sight infrastructure to allow for anytime, anywhere Web access. Navini Networks' Ripwave(TM) products consist of a desktop modem or PCMCIA card, base station, and element management system (EMS) and run in the 2.3, 2.4, 2.5/2.6 and 3.5 GHz spectrums. Navini's solution results in a price/performance combination that is superior to other broadband offerings -- wired or wireless -- in the marketplace. To date, Navini has received $91.5 million in funding from top-tier investors such as Austin Ventures, Granite Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Sternhill Partners, as well as Alcatel, Intel and Sanmina. For more information on Navini, please visit http://www.navini.com/ .


For general information on Navini or to speak to a sales representative, please email sales@navini.com .


Source: Navini Networks; KT Corp

Web site: http://www.navini.com/