Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Mobility Networks Shutters Doors, Turns Off Lights

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:41:31 -0400

Mobility Networks Shutters Doors, Turns Off Lights
 Contributed by derek on Thurs, Aug 28 2003

In the current mini-bubble of euphoria around WiFi and associated hardware and
technology, it was interesting to see that WiFi - cellular roaming solutions
provider Mobility Networks ceased operations today.  Mobility, by all outward
indications was doing as well as any similar company, with lots of blustery
announcements and promises, and some actual traction. Founded in 1999, Mobility
Networks had $30M in funding and some 30 staff. No executives were available to
explain the company's demise. Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

www.techdirt.com

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WLAN company Mobility Networks shuts down
By Mike Dano
August 27 13:53:00, 2003

Privately held Mobility Networks, which sold technology to wireless carriers that
linked wide area networks with Wi-Fi hot spots, has shut down and ceased
operations, a former spokesman for the company confirmed. The spokesman declined
to provide further information.

Repeated attempts to contact the company’s former executives were unsuccessful.
The company’s Web site is no longer operational, and its phone lines offer only a
prerecorded greeting.

Founded in 1999, Mobility Networks managed to raise more than $30 million in
venture funding and counted more than 30 employees. In its short history, the
company scored some significant deals, including a partnership with infrastructure
company Nortel Networks and a trial with Rogers AT&T Wireless in Canada. Further,
the company claimed additional carrier trials in Europe and Asia.

Rogers AT&T Wireless announced last year a successful demonstration of Mobility
Networks’ technology, which allowed users to roam from its GPRS network to a
wireless local area network. The carrier did not immediately return calls for
comment. Separately, Nortel Networks last year announced partnerships with
Mobility Networks and several other technology providers to offer integrated
WLAN/wireless wide area network products to wireless carriers. Nortel Networks
said Mobility Networks’ shutdown will not affect its offering.

Dubbed WiFiRAN, Mobility Networks' technology allowed mobile operators to offer
WLAN services without making any changes to their existing wide area networks. The
company said mobile operators could leverage current investments in their
infrastructures to offer authentication, charging/billing and security to public
wireless LAN networks.
The company’s shutdown comes at an interesting time, as T-Mobile USA Inc.
continues to build out its Wi-Fi network and AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Sprint
PCS, Verizon Wireless and others look to offer or resell Wi-Fi services.

http://www.rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=14863

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