MTN Cameroon Selects Cambridge Broadband's VectaStar Solution for Cellular Backhaul

MTN Cameroon Selects Cambridge Broadband's VectaStar Solution for Cellular Backhaul

July 18, 2006

    CAMBRIDGE, England, July 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Africa's largest cellular operator MTN is using Cambridge
Broadband's VectaStar wireless transmission solution to
backhaul its cellular GSM network in Cameroon.

    Commercial operation will commence in two of the
country's main cities, Douala and Youande, using the
licensed 10.5GHz spectrum band. These towns will be covered
by four fully redundant VectaStar base stations, which
consolidate traffic from the VectaStar subscriber units
located at MTN's cellular base stations.

    MTN Cameroon selected Cambridge Broadband's VectaStar
solution because of its unique fully integrated Abis
optimisation feature. Eben Albertyn, Chief Technical
Officer at MTN Cameroon, explains: "We need to make
the best possible use of the scarce radio spectrum.
VectaStar's built in Abis optimisation means that it only
transmits the active voice channels, and does so in the
most efficient way possible. This creates bandwidth savings
that we can use for other services."

    MTN Cameroon's VectaStar network will be expanded
rapidly to provide coverage in additional geographic
territories, as well as being used to provide broadband
access services for business customers. Bjorn Krylander,
Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge Broadband, comments:
"One of the key advantages of our VectaStar system is
that it can support both transmission and access services
within the same network, and within a single base station.
This makes it ideal for operators that wish to provide a
full range of services without having to invest in multiple
technology platforms."

    He adds: "VectaStar is rapidly becoming the
backhaul solution of choice for GSM and 3G operators around
the world, due to its unique combination of technical
features and its point-to-multipoint architecture. We are
very pleased that a leading operator like MTN has selected
our technology and we look forward to a long and successful
relationship."

    Notes to Editors

    For more information contact Nicky Dibben, Invention
Marketing Limited, telephone [phone].

    Cambridge Broadband http://www.cambridgebroadband.com

    Cambridge Broadband provides carrier class wireless
point-to-multipoint transmission equipment. The company's
unique approach to backhaul means that its technology
provides operators with a highly compelling business case.
To date, Cambridge Broadband's products have been
commercially deployed and technically proven in more than
30 countries. Privately-held, Cambridge Broadband has
headquarters in Cambridge, UK, with offices in Malaysia and
South Africa and manufacturing facilities in China and the
UK.

    VectaStar

    VectaStar is a highly flexible, scalable
point-to-multipoint radio transmission system used for 2G
and 3G cellular backhaul, WiMAX/WiFi/DSLAM backhaul and
Enterprise access. VectaStar is the only transmission
solution with integrated Abis and Iub optimisation and
dynamic statistical multiplexing to maximise the traffic
carried in any given bandwidth, giving substantial
operational and capital expenditure savings over leased
lines. VectaStar's additional advantages include superior
capacity, range, service mix, spectral efficiency and
support for full redundancy. VectaStar supports E1/T1, IP
and ATM transmission protocols. A single VectaStar base
station supports simultaneous operation in the 3.5GHz,
10.5GHz and 26GHz bands.

    MTN Cameroon http://www.mtn.cm

    MTN Cameroon is a telecommunications company which was
set up on 15 February 2000 following the acquisition of
Camtel Mobile phone license by the South African MTN Group.
As at 31st March 2006, MTN Cameroon had 1.409.000
subscribers. To date, MTN ranks among the five most
important companies in Cameroon in terms of turnover and
represents more than 54% market shares, which makes her the
leading telecommunications company in country. MTN Cameroon
has already invested above F CFA 200 billion in the
development of a first-class network which includes more
than 290 BTS with over 77% coverage rate of the urban
population. For more information about MTN Cameroon go to
http://www.mtn.cm .

    For more information, please contact:

     Nicky Dibben, 
     Invention Marketing Limited
     Tel:   [phone]

SOURCE  Cambridge Broadband