Iberbanda and Alvarion® Expand WiMAX™ Networks in Spain

Alvarion® Ltd. and Iberbanda, Spain’s leading WiMAX carrier and subsidiary of Telefonica, today announced the deployment of Alvarion’s BreezeMAX® system at 3.5GHz in Navarra, an autonomous community in northeast Spain. The network provides voice and data services to residential customers in rural and semi-rural areas throughout the region.

This expansion is expected to add thousands of subscribers to Iberbanda’s constantly growing customer base, and has helped them meet Navarra’s government requirements to bridge the digital divide. Alvarion and Iberbanda are long-term partners and have built successful WiMAX networks in other autonomous communities of Spain, including Catalunya, Andalucia and Castilla y Leon.

Iberbanda issued a tender last October 2007 to all major WiMAX vendors with rigorous demands for quality of service and advanced technology. Once again, the experienced WiMAX carrier chose Alvarion’s BreezeMAX system over others because of its proven track record and delivery capabilities.

“As always, we are committed to bringing broadband services to Spain's rural areas," said Mr. Luis Miguel Garcia Sanchez, CEO of Iberbanda. "For several years now we have been enjoying a beneficial customer-vendor partnership with the WiMAX expert. Alvarion offers us more than just superior technology; it has a proven track record of network deployments, and has emerged from among the new telecom equipment leaders. We rely on BreezeMAX’s performance as the ideal product for answering Navarra government’s requirements for an excellent solution. We are confident it has the ability to provide extended coverage now, and lead to next-generation technologies in the future, as well."

“We are pleased that Iberbanda has once again selected us for this major expansion of their network," said Tzvika Friedman, President and CEO of Alvarion. “We value Navarra government’s confidence in WiMAX. Our BreezeMAX used by Iberbanda – one of the most innovative carriers and leading service providers dedicated to WiMAX services – enables overcoming digital divide and realizing the vision of WiMAX’s capability to bring broadband everywhere. We look forward to the large potential of mutual business growth as Iberbanda enters the world of mobile with exciting trials of our 802.16e solution.”