Alcatel announced an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) agreement with Navini Networks covering its "Ripwave," non-line-of-sight wireless broadband platform.
Specifically, Alcatel will distribute the Navini Ripwave (Alcatel 7386 Wireless IP) products - base stations, element management systems and customer modems or PCMCIA cards - operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz, and the licensed 2.3, 2.5/2.6, and 3.5 GHz spectrum bands. The Navini solution, a combination of several advanced technologies including smart antennas and multi-carrier modulation, will be boosted by Alcatel's network integration capabilities and related professional services. http://www.alcatel.com
- Navini's broadband wireless access platform uses Multi-Carrier Synchronous Beamforming technology to provide non-line-of-sight access at broadband data rates for up to 1000 users per antenna face. The company claims up to 50% lower total-cost-of-ownership than DSL or cable networks, and up to 70% lower total-cost-of-ownership than previous fixed wireless systems.
- In April 2003, Navini Networks, a start-up based in Richardson, Texas, raised an additional $25 million in Series C funding for its non-line-of-sight, wireless broadband technology. Austin Ventures, Granite Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Sternhill Partners, all existing investors in the company, led the new round of financing. The company has raised $91 million to date.
- Navini Networks was founded in early 2000 by Wu-Fu Chen and Dr. Guanghan Xu, a former professor at the University of Texas at Austin, School of Electrical Engineering. The company is based in Richardson, Texas.
