FiberTower and BridgeWave Communications Develop Gigabit Wireless Solution for 24 GHz

SAN FRANCISCO and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FiberTower Corporation (Nasdaq: FTWR), a wireless backhaul services provider, and BridgeWave Communications, a leading supplier of 4G backhaul equipment solutions, have collaborated to develop an ultra-high capacity multi-channel reconfigurable radio (MCRR) designed to operate in FiberTower's unique 24 GHz licensed spectrum holdings.

Based on BridgeWave'sFlexPort microwave platform, the MCRR is a single, all-outdoor radio capable of delivering full-duplex gigabit Ethernet transport with very low latency at standard and jumbo packet sizes, while providing advanced carrier-Ethernet features such as Quality of Service, VLAN and Ethernet OAM support. The launch of this product follows extensive field trials in FiberTower's network with the solution exceeding all expectations for ease of installation, high performance and robustness. This advanced, high-capacity solution is designed to seamlessly integrate within FiberTower's infrastructure and extend full-rate gigabit connectivity quickly and cost effectively.

"Utilizing one gigabit-per-second radios in place of traditional OC3 or lower capacity Ethernet radios enables us to deploy our backhaul solutions more cost-efficiently, mitigating initial capital expenditures and reducing the need for future upgrades," stated Kurt Van Wagenen, FiberTower's president and CEO. "This jointly developed state-of-the-art MCRR provides a fiber-quality solution for further capitalizing on our exclusive 24 GHz spectrum licenses which cover the top 75 markets across the US."

Amir Makleff, president and CEO of BridgeWave said, "Full gigabit wireless solutions continue to close the gap between fiber and microwave capacities required to meet the needs of 4G backhaul. We are excited to collaborate with FiberTower on the development of the MCCR solution and look forward to providing them with solutions that meet the growing demands of their customers."

FiberTower and BridgeWave are also working to develop and market a packaged solution that combines BridgeWave's MCRR with FiberTower's 24 GHz spectrum on a link-specific basis for customers seeking to deploy gigabit wireless solutions for high-capacity broadband backhaul and transport. This product will provide an additional source of revenue from FiberTower's broad 24 GHz spectrum holdings.

About FiberTower

FiberTower is a backhaul and access services provider focused primarily on the wireless carrier market. With its extensive spectrum footprint in 24 GHz and 39 GHz bands, carrier-class fiber and microwave networks in 13 major markets and master service agreements with nine U.S. wireless carriers, FiberTower is considered to be a leading alternative carrier for wireless backhaul. FiberTower also provides backhaul and access service to government and enterprise markets. For more information, please visit our website at www.fibertower.com.

About BridgeWave Communications

BridgeWave Communications is the leading supplier of high capacity 4G backhaul and gigabit wireless connectivity solutions. BridgeWave's carrier-grade, point-to-point wireless FlexPort® links provide a future-proof mobile backhaul solution for carriers and mobile operators looking to support 4G/LTE/WiMAX adoption. The company's 60 GHz and 80 GHz millimeter wave links offer up to ten times the bandwidth of license-free wireless links with the benefit of added interference immunity, while their microwave products are the first to enable full-rate gigabit connectivity in a cost-effective, single all-outdoor solution. Founded in 1999, BridgeWave is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. With the largest installed base of GigE radios worldwide, BridgeWave delivers the highest levels of product quality and reliability. For more information, visit www.bridgewave.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking" statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, in its rules, regulations and releases.  Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.  These include statements regarding, among other things, our future financial performance and results of operations including guidance for expected ranges of 2010 revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and capital expenditures, our financial and business prospects, the deployment of our services, capital requirements, financing prospects, planned capital expenditures, expected cost per site, anticipated customer growth, expansion plans, and anticipated cash balances.

There are many risks, uncertainties and other factors that can prevent the achievement of goals or cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.  These include, among other things, negative cash flows and operating and net losses, additional liquidity requirements, potential loss of significant customers, downturns in the wireless communication industry, regulatory costs and restrictions, potential loss of FCC licenses, equipment supply disruptions and cost increases, competition from alternative backhaul service providers and technologies, along with those risk factors described in the company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the SEC.

SOURCE FiberTower Corporation