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NEWS 2006

[01/31/2006]

AWA and OptiCall Deploy Commercial Wireless Mesh Networks and Voice over WLAN (VoWLAN) in Spain

Leading manufacturers Firetide and Meru Networks to deliver wireless voice and data on the same network

CASTELLON Spain, SUNNYVALE and LOS GATOS, USA - January 31, 2005 - Firetide, Inc., a leader in wireless mesh networking, announced that AWA, the leading Spanish operator of Wireless LAN networks, will roll out commercial WLAN and mesh networks for voice and data services. The European distributor OptiCall will deliver products from Firetide and Meru Networks to build the network.

The network that AWA is currently deploying will have more than 12,000 access points for public Internet access. 4,500 of them will be installed in gas stations. Access points will also be deployed in the main shopping centers and in public buildings. The network will be centrally managed by the NMS platform and the AWAvoz gateways, allowing users to connect in all locations with the same account.

"Firetide technology provides an easy deployment of mesh wireless networks, optimizing the use of the spectrum and drastically reducing network equipment latency," said Santiago Arenos, AWA CTO. "Installation time is also reduced with their auto configuration facility." He added that Meru's Wireless LAN system includes true quality of service (QoS) for voice and offers the best performance on the market with an ability to handle significantly more telephone calls than other vendors.

OptiCall's VoWLAN solution includes Firetide's HotPort Mesh Network, Meru Networks WLAN System, and QTEK dual mode mobile phones with preinstalled WBX/Uniphone client from OptiMobile which ensures a single user interface for both VoIP over WLAN and GSM.

"AWA's deployment will actually be much larger than many of the municipal wireless networks currently under consideration," said CEO of Firetide, Inc., Bo Larsson. "It will certainly prove how efficient and cost effective Firetide mesh networks are for rapidly deploying high speed wireless voice and data networks over very large geographic areas."

About AWA

AWA is a privately held wireless company, founded in 2000. AWA started its activities as an I+D company, receiving several awards and acknowledgments for its ability in the application of wireless technology in different fields including the integration of the first WI-FI vehicle (a pilot project with FIAT and CHRYSLER). Today AWA is situated in Spain and Mexico, focusing its activity as a wireless telecommunications operator, offering Internet access in rural areas through the brand INTERNETRURAL and in public zones (hotspots) as AKIWIFI. AWA is also certified by the vendors Meru and Firetide. For more information visit the company's websites www.awacenter.com and www.akiwifi.com.

About Firetide, Inc.

Firetide is a privately held wireless mesh technology company that develops networking equipment to deploy high performance, scalable wireless mesh networks quickly, easily and affordably. Firetide's Instant Networking solution is ideal for building backbone infrastructure for Wi-Fi networks, Internet access HotZones, video surveillance, and temporary networks in a variety of environments such as, airports, hotels, campus environments or other locations where wiring is too difficult or expensive to install. For more information, visit www.firetide.com.

About Meru Networks

Meru Networks is a global leader in Wireless Voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure solutions. With its innovative, award-winning patented Air Traffic Control technology that brings the benefits of the cellular world to the wireless LAN environment, Meru's WLAN System is the only solution on the market that offers the reliability, scalability, and security necessary to deliver converged voice and data services over a single WLAN infrastructure. Meru's Wireless LAN System provides major Fortune 500 enterprises, universities, healthcare organizations and local, state and federal government agencies with the predictable bandwidth and over-the-air Quality of Service required supporting a wide range of current and future wireless applications. Founded in 2002, Meru is based in Sunnyvale, California. For more information on Meru Networks and its products, visit www.merunetworks.com.

Contacts:

Mike Downes
Firetide, Inc.
mdownes@firetide.com
808-387-2181

Danielle Siemon
Edelman for Firetide
danielle.siemon@edelman.com
650-429-2739

Ray Montelongo
Montel Technologies, Inc.
ray@montel-technologies.com
815-966-1267

Lewis Jordan
Rockford Housing Authority
ljordan@rockfordha.org
815-987-3842