Cometa formed to provide national wireless Internet access

Leading technology companies AT&T, Intel and IBM, and global investment

concerns Apax Partners and 3i recently announced they are utilizing their

collective technologies and capabilities to create a new company, Cometa

Networks, that will provide broadband, wholesale, wireless Internet access.

Cometa Networks plans to provide this service to telecommunications

companies, Internet Service providers (ISPs), cable operators and wireless

carriers, who then can offer their customers wireless Internet access, using

wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, also called 802.11. Cometa will also offer

wireless Internet access to enterprise customers through the participating

carriers.

The

company will work with major national and regional retail chains, hotels,

universities and real estate firms to deploy the broadband wireless access

service in "hot spots" throughout the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas.

Cometa’s service will make it possible for users to keep existing sign-on

procedures, email addresses, IDs, passwords and payment methods - regardless of

whether they are accessing the Internet via an ISP, corporate virtual private

network, telecommunications provider or cable operator.

"Wi-Fi will bring distributed computing into the general public

environment leading to increased business productivity and new consumer

applications," said Lawrence B. Brilliant, Chief Executive Officer, Cometa

Networks. "Mobile professionals want a consistent, integrated solution that

makes it easier to access reports, customer information and email using their

existing Internet accounts, whether a mile from home or across the

country."

Cometa Networks’ 802.11 network access is targeted to begin roll out during

2003 in top 50 U.S. urban markets. The company is in talks with customers and

additional partners.

AT&T plans to provide network infrastructure and management. IBM plans to

provide wireless site installations and back-office systems.

Cometa Networks will have offices in San Francisco and New York.

DQCI NEWS BUREAU