New Wireless Player Enters U.S. Market

British BWA vendor LastMile Communications will enter the United States in 2006 via a new subsidiary, LastMile USA Inc.

LastMile offers hardware and software that enable the delivery of location-based high-speed wireless services.

LastMile makes its network gear free to emergency and similar public services, and otherwise targets government agencies, businesses and enterprises. Meanwhile, ISPs, network operators and others can capitalize by contracting with LastMile and offering content on those networks, or using the LastMile technology to target its own users with location-based services.

LastMiles WDirect transceivers mount on top of lamp posts, utility poles or buildings. The technology is based on pico-cell wireless technology, operating in the 63 GHz frequency band. Each pico cell has about an 800-foot range, and is backhauled using whatever technology is available, such as copper cabling or microwave. Typical speeds range between 40 and 400mbps.

Each cell can cache information for its specific locality, from various businesses. The information is thus available at the location where it is needed rather than routing through a network, making for efficiency gains and reduced expenses, according to the company.

LastMiles client software for the end user, MagicBook, harvests user-specified and location-specific information, applications and content, such as e-mail, news, permission-based commercial information and video clips.

In addition to the applications and content sold by service providers, base-level data, such as maps and public safety information, will be delivered free to the user, along with advertising content whose airtime is paid for by local businesses, promoters and others.

Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, LastMile USA will be led by Skip Ballou, president of the Americas and Asia-Pacific, who will oversee the management of all customer relationships, partnership activities and contract manufacturing.

LastMile USA gives us the point of presence to effectively engage all of our strategic partners, local government initiatives and business-to-business customers in North America, said Ballou. We’re looking forward to teaming with network operators, utilities, telecommunications companies and world- class content providers to help them serve the communities in which they operate and create new revenue channels by leveraging LastMile technology.

LastMile Communications www.lastmilecoms.com