Aperto Unwires Mali

MILPITAS, Calif. and BAMAKO, Mali -- Aperto Networks, a leading provider of multiservice wireless access systems for global markets, and CEFIB, a leading West African alternative carrier servingmajor enterprise users, jointly announce deployment of a 3.5 GHzPacketWave-powered network to cover Mali's capital, Bamako, and hundreds of enterprise sites including the country's utilities, banks and trading companies.

In operation since August of 2002, CEFIB's business-grade wirelessnetwork has expanded broadband reach to all of Bamako's enterprises, enabling the carrier to add dozens of the largest enterprises in the capital city, including prominent Mali financial services firms Banquede Developpement du Mali (BDM), Banque de l'Habitat du Mali (BHM),international logistics company Groupe Bolloré/SDV, the recently-privatized energy agency Societé Energie du Mali (EDM), and the African IT trading company CFAO Technologies. CEFIB is targeting federal government offices and schools in Bamako as next-phasesubscribers.

"We are reaping the rewards of having deployed Aperto's systems formaximum reach and robust IP feature-rich performance," stated CEFIB founder and chair Serge Dergham. "It was our goal to be able to serve the most demanding corporate users with higher quality and far faster speed than the incumbent. We also knew that neither 2.4 GHz spectrum nor 802.11 technology would provide carrier-class metropolitan area networks. Aperto's systems deployed flawlessly in just one day, and their minimal tech support requirements and very high availability allow us to set the new standard for data networking in West Africa."

CEFIB delivers wireless VPNs for corporate site interconnection,high-speed Internet access and telephony applications. Available wireline service cannot compete with CEFIB's access speeds, which spanfrom fractional E-1 to 12 Mbps, with 20 Mbps two-way burst capability.

CEFIB is able to activate new service for subscribers in less than oneday -- even in harsh environments -- and quickly enables QoS featuresthrough Aperto's ServiceQ software. Because outside copper plant is often subject to outages and/or theft, the service reliability of CEFIB's air interface is the connectivity option of choice among Mali's businesses.

"CEFIB has leveraged Aperto's broadband wireless access features tomove Mali's business community from a 64 kbps access standard directlyto E-1 and above broadband speeds," emphasized Dr. Reza Ahy, presidentand founder of Aperto Networks. "This will be a huge business benefitto the nation's economy, the majority of which is located in the nation's capital. CEFIB's in-country technical team quickly became self-sufficient in new-generation broadband wireless access and is highly competent in provisioning new data services for its base."

Aperto Networks