Verizon Wireless and U.S. Wireless Corporation Announce Successful Testing of CDMA Location System for Emergency 911 Caller Location
BEDMINSTER, New Jersey and SAN RAMON, Calif., May 10, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
-- Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, and U.S. Wireless
Corporation (Nasdaq: USWC; Frankfurt: USP) today announced the successful
completion of technical field trials in Baltimore of U.S. Wireless' cellular
location technology, CDMA RadioCamera(TM) system.
The technology trial was conducted over a nine month period and encompassed a
comprehensive four-stage field test program that included real-time processing
of live AMPS and CDMA callers, covering substantially all of the downtown
locations.
U.S. Wireless Chief Executive Officer Dr. Oliver Hilsenrath said, "The Baltimore
trial results continue to validate our technology, illustrating that the
RadioCamera(TM) system is one of the most accurate, real-time, wireless location
systems available today. During trials the RadioCamera(TM) system consistently
pinpointed the location of a wireless caller well within the requirements
imposed by Phase II of the FCC E-911 Mandate."
Based on thousands of test calls, the location fixes were sufficiently accurate
and timely, in both stationary and vehicular applications, to support advanced
services including providing subscribers with turn-by-turn directions.
Additionally, the system can continuously monitor a caller's location, if
desired, a critical safety feature for some E-911 situations and other added
value location sensitive services. Further improvements in location accuracy
were demonstrated to be achievable with slight increases for call set-up times.
U.S. Wireless' RadioCamera(TM) system provides wireless carriers with continuous
real-time location data needed to meet Phase II of the FCC E-911 mandate.
Location information provided by the RadioCamera(TM) system also enables other
services, including highway traffic control and planning, enhanced directory
assistance, localized traffic condition reports and fleet location. The advanced
CDMA location capability was enabled through a joint development and
cross-licensing agreement between U.S. Wireless and Qualcomm, Inc.
"We were very pleased with the performance of U.S. Wireless' system," said Ted
Hoffman, Vice President of Technology Development for Verizon Wireless. "We
conducted our testing in Baltimore, a challenging urban radio propagation
environment, and the results are encouraging. We will continue to work with U.S.
Wireless and are evaluating the company's location offering."
Hilsenrath added, "We are excited to be working with Verizon Wireless, who has
taken a leadership role in the CDMA carrier community, investing substantial
resources in developing and evaluating location technologies that benefit the
entire cellular community. We are very happy that this joint effort resulted in
an effective and cost-efficient caller location solution that performs reliably
in the most challenging conditions of the Baltimore metro area."
U.S. Wireless Corp. also noted that it will conduct an Operation Readiness trial
in Washington, DC to help wireless carriers further evaluate the RadioCamera(TM)
network, technology, scalability and commercial readiness to meet the FCC
mandate.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the US with
over 16 million wireless voice and data customers and nearly four million paging
customers. The new, coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the
combination of the US wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE: BEL) and
Vodafone AirTouch Plc. (NYSE: VOD; London) The new company includes the assets
from Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, PrimeCo Personal Communications
and AirTouch Paging. Verizon Wireless will be further strengthened by the
addition of the US wireless assets of GTE Corp. (NYSE: GTE) when it completes
its merger with Bell Atlantic. When the merger is complete, the new company will
have a footprint covering nearly 90 percent of the US population, 49 of the top
50 and 96 of the top 100 US markets. Verizon Wireless, headquartered in New York
City and Bedminster, NJ, is 30,000 employees strong. Visit the company at
www.verizonwireless.com.
About U.S. Wireless
U.S. Wireless is powering the next generation of instant wireless information
services and mobile content. Through a national network of wireless location
systems, based on the company's proprietary RadioCamera(TM) system, U.S.
Wireless will enable wireless carriers and others to offer a rich blend of
location-enhanced services including life-saving 911 caller pinpointing,
localized news and traffic updates, enhanced directory assistance, vehicle and
asset tracking, and carrier network management services.
U.S. Wireless plans to build and operate its nationwide location service bureau
in 100 major markets across the United States, beginning with the Washington,
D.C./Baltimore metro area. For more information about U.S. Wireless and its
RadioCamera(TM) network, please visit the Web site at www.uswcorp.com.
NOTE: RadioCamera(TM) and the U.S. Wireless logo are trademarks of U.S. Wireless
Corporation.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: A number of statements
contained in this press release which are not historical in nature are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the
applicable statements, including, among others, the size and scope of the
geo-location services market, the timing of governmental requirements and the
success of the company in this market. A description of these and other risks
and uncertainties can be found in the companies' filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
SOURCE U.S. Wireless Corporation
(C) 2000 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
www.prnewswire.com
CONTACT: Andrea Linskey of Verizon Wireless, 908-306-7845, or
linskan@bam.com; or Randy Miller, 201-476-0123, or randy@uswcorp.com; or Paul
Brunato, 925-327-6236, both of U.S. Wireless Corporation
KEYWORD: California
New Jersey
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TLS
SUBJECT CODE: PDT
URL: www.verizonwireless.com
www.uswcorp.com
BEDMINSTER, New Jersey and SAN RAMON, Calif., May 10, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
-- Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, and U.S. Wireless
Corporation (Nasdaq: USWC; Frankfurt: USP) today announced the successful
completion of technical field trials in Baltimore of U.S. Wireless' cellular
location technology, CDMA RadioCamera(TM) system.
The technology trial was conducted over a nine month period and encompassed a
comprehensive four-stage field test program that included real-time processing
of live AMPS and CDMA callers, covering substantially all of the downtown
locations.
U.S. Wireless Chief Executive Officer Dr. Oliver Hilsenrath said, "The Baltimore
trial results continue to validate our technology, illustrating that the
RadioCamera(TM) system is one of the most accurate, real-time, wireless location
systems available today. During trials the RadioCamera(TM) system consistently
pinpointed the location of a wireless caller well within the requirements
imposed by Phase II of the FCC E-911 Mandate."
Based on thousands of test calls, the location fixes were sufficiently accurate
and timely, in both stationary and vehicular applications, to support advanced
services including providing subscribers with turn-by-turn directions.
Additionally, the system can continuously monitor a caller's location, if
desired, a critical safety feature for some E-911 situations and other added
value location sensitive services. Further improvements in location accuracy
were demonstrated to be achievable with slight increases for call set-up times.
U.S. Wireless' RadioCamera(TM) system provides wireless carriers with continuous
real-time location data needed to meet Phase II of the FCC E-911 mandate.
Location information provided by the RadioCamera(TM) system also enables other
services, including highway traffic control and planning, enhanced directory
assistance, localized traffic condition reports and fleet location. The advanced
CDMA location capability was enabled through a joint development and
cross-licensing agreement between U.S. Wireless and Qualcomm, Inc.
"We were very pleased with the performance of U.S. Wireless' system," said Ted
Hoffman, Vice President of Technology Development for Verizon Wireless. "We
conducted our testing in Baltimore, a challenging urban radio propagation
environment, and the results are encouraging. We will continue to work with U.S.
Wireless and are evaluating the company's location offering."
Hilsenrath added, "We are excited to be working with Verizon Wireless, who has
taken a leadership role in the CDMA carrier community, investing substantial
resources in developing and evaluating location technologies that benefit the
entire cellular community. We are very happy that this joint effort resulted in
an effective and cost-efficient caller location solution that performs reliably
in the most challenging conditions of the Baltimore metro area."
U.S. Wireless Corp. also noted that it will conduct an Operation Readiness trial
in Washington, DC to help wireless carriers further evaluate the RadioCamera(TM)
network, technology, scalability and commercial readiness to meet the FCC
mandate.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the US with
over 16 million wireless voice and data customers and nearly four million paging
customers. The new, coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the
combination of the US wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE: BEL) and
Vodafone AirTouch Plc. (NYSE: VOD; London) The new company includes the assets
from Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, PrimeCo Personal Communications
and AirTouch Paging. Verizon Wireless will be further strengthened by the
addition of the US wireless assets of GTE Corp. (NYSE: GTE) when it completes
its merger with Bell Atlantic. When the merger is complete, the new company will
have a footprint covering nearly 90 percent of the US population, 49 of the top
50 and 96 of the top 100 US markets. Verizon Wireless, headquartered in New York
City and Bedminster, NJ, is 30,000 employees strong. Visit the company at
www.verizonwireless.com.
About U.S. Wireless
U.S. Wireless is powering the next generation of instant wireless information
services and mobile content. Through a national network of wireless location
systems, based on the company's proprietary RadioCamera(TM) system, U.S.
Wireless will enable wireless carriers and others to offer a rich blend of
location-enhanced services including life-saving 911 caller pinpointing,
localized news and traffic updates, enhanced directory assistance, vehicle and
asset tracking, and carrier network management services.
U.S. Wireless plans to build and operate its nationwide location service bureau
in 100 major markets across the United States, beginning with the Washington,
D.C./Baltimore metro area. For more information about U.S. Wireless and its
RadioCamera(TM) network, please visit the Web site at www.uswcorp.com.
NOTE: RadioCamera(TM) and the U.S. Wireless logo are trademarks of U.S. Wireless
Corporation.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: A number of statements
contained in this press release which are not historical in nature are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the
applicable statements, including, among others, the size and scope of the
geo-location services market, the timing of governmental requirements and the
success of the company in this market. A description of these and other risks
and uncertainties can be found in the companies' filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
SOURCE U.S. Wireless Corporation
(C) 2000 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
www.prnewswire.com
CONTACT: Andrea Linskey of Verizon Wireless, 908-306-7845, or
linskan@bam.com; or Randy Miller, 201-476-0123, or randy@uswcorp.com; or Paul
Brunato, 925-327-6236, both of U.S. Wireless Corporation
KEYWORD: California
New Jersey
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TLS
SUBJECT CODE: PDT
URL: www.verizonwireless.com
www.uswcorp.com
