Sequelle Communications Alliance Deploys Aperto Networks in 2.5 GHz Broadband Wireless RUS Network Across West Virginia and Ohio

Innovative carrier leverages OSS/BSS development, Aperto platform to create advances in rapid, intelligent deployment  

Milpitas, Calif. and Parkersburg, West Virginia, (June 21, 2004) – Sequelle Communications Alliance, one of first private wireless carriers in the US to pilot-test and win Rural Broadband Development (RUS) funding, has exclusively deployed 2.5 GHz systems from Aperto Networks, a leading 802.16 class broadband wireless access (BWA) systems provider. The carrier has deployed BWA throughout Parkersburg, West Virginia, Marietta, Ohio and 20 surrounding communities, to business-grade users who have no availability to affordable broadband service.  

Sequelle was formed in 1999 and spent two years developing its business model and securing Federal (RUS), State of West Virginia and Ohio funding and grants to bring wireless access to commercial and institutional sites in underserved markets. The company simultaneously acquired 2.5 GHz spectrum licenses, and began development efforts on both operational and billing support software (OSS/BSS) to streamline provisioning and improve real-time forecasting of customer bandwidth and feature requirements.  

RUS funding was awarded to Sequelle in 2002, and the company has now deployed to dozens of business, higher education and government sites using Aperto PacketWave® systems throughout its network. It plans to serve between 200 and 600 such customers in each market it enters.  

"We built our business around software-driven, end-to-end service delivery processes," emphasized Sequelle CEO and founder Heidi Laughery. "Aperto's systems and software are very well-suited to our end-to-end focus. The PacketWave platform worked extremely well in pilot and gave us very high confidence in the company's ability to deliver not only to our current technical requirements, but also to our future needs in scalability, WiMAX integration and network intelligence."  

Sequelle offers high-speed data access up to 14 Mbps throughput, VPN service, Voice over IP and Hot Spot as well as LAN/WAN integration services for its customers.  

Sequelle CEO Laughery continued, "During the lengthy RUS funding and wireless license application process, we developed, automated and extensively documented all provisioning and work flows, customer data acquisition, billing and operations support. This really helped us develop expertise in OSS methods and procedures, as well as discipline in our customer databases. We found we were able to mine a great deal of information on real-time bandwidth usage and inventory to enhance our predictive modeling and forecasting techniques. This has given us efficiency and effectiveness in planning new service deployments, in modeling network overlays, etc."

"Through the use of its own customer intelligence and automated processes, the team at Sequelle has turned the compelling benefits of broadband wireless access into new strategic differentiators," stated Aperto CEO Reza Ahy. "Sequelle delivers up to 14 Mbps sustained bandwidth within 24 hours of customer order, with full Service Level Agreements and multi-service applications. This carrier has also gone above and beyond, by effectively removing risk and guesswork out of its deployment formula, and by tuning its operational and billing support systems to ensure efficiency in its back office. As a company with strong assets in software and performance optimization algorithms, Aperto can well appreciate the assets Sequelle is creating to differentiate and scale its business model for the future."  

About Aperto Networks

Aperto Networks is a leader in 802.16-class multiservice broadband wireless access systems for global markets. The company was founded to provide breakthrough solutions to the bottleneck in last-mile broadband access, and is a founding board member of the WiMAX Forum as well as a founder and lead contributor to IEEE 802.16 and the ETSI-BRAN standards. Its PacketWave® system is a family of base stations, subscriber units, radios and antennas in 2.5, 3.5 and 5 GHz frequencies for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint deployment. PacketWave's scalability and patented technologies support new wireless builds and complement wireline broadband access networks. Aperto is already deployed in 50 countries, meeting service provider needs for installation ease, IP-rich network functionality, cost effectiveness, rapid provisioning and interference resilience. For more information on Aperto Networks, go to www.apertonet.com.  

About Sequelle

Sequelle Communications Alliance is a provider of wireless broadband products and services with offices located in Parkersburg, WV and Marietta, OH. Since 1999 Sequelle has been driving availability of high-speed internet and business class communications services to Southeastern Ohio and Northwestern West Virginia using FCC licensed fixed wireless technologies. Information about Sequelle and its services is available at www.sequelle.net. Service footprint detail is available at http://www.sequelle.net/sitemap.php.