KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Terabeam Corp., a pioneering developer of broadband wireless systems, today announced that it is broadening its product portfolio beyond free space optics (FSO) to include millimeter wavelength radio products as well. The acquisition of Harmonix Corp., one of the leading innovators in the design and manufacture of millimeter wavelength wireless communications systems and components, instantly expands the scope and variety of Terabeam’s broadband wireless solutions. “The world’s leading telecommunications carriers have told us they are looking for reliable and cost-effective means to extend their networks,” said Terabeam Chairman, President and CEO Dan Hesse. “Terabeam free space optics and millimeter wavelength technologies are two ways to accomplish this. Both have their strong points, and with both under the Terabeam banner, we can offer a full range of broadband wireless capabilities to carriers worldwide.”In addition to free space optics equipment and services that Terabeam offers with its Magna and Elliptica products, Terabeam has added a 60 gigahertz (GHz) point-to-point wireless system that provides Fast Ethernet, OC-3, OC-12 and soon 1.25Gbps/Gigabit Ethernet full duplex connectivity. Field-proven over the past five years as a private network in Tokyo, these systems utilize proprietary Direct Digital Modulation (DDM) to support both IP and packet-switched protocols. Like free space optics, the 60 GHz millimeter frequency region was used by scientists, the military and government agencies for communication between satellites in space or for covert, secure communications links. During those early days of use, equipment operating in that spectrum was very difficult to manufacture and too expensive for general use. No frequency allocation existed for general public use. Technological advances have reduced the cost of millimeter wavelength systems, making them relatively inexpensive compared with fiber optic cabling. With demand for data communications spectrum exploding, the FCC eventually allocated this spectrum for unlicensed operation.Terms of the acquisition were not announced. Terabeam’s millimeter wavelength division is based in North Andover, Mass. Terabeam Corp.