Airband Communications Inc. announced expanded coverage of its high-bandwidth solutions in Phoenix. As part of its national expansion strategy, the company has significantly increased its market reach and service area, and now provides WiMAX-based services to businesses in the greater Phoenix area including Scottsdale, Tempe, Deer Valley, Chandler and Mesa. The expansion also includes an upgrade of Airband’s existing network equipment and capacity, driven by local customer demands for higher bandwidth services.

“Through this recently completed expansion, we are able to serve a greater number of businesses in Phoenix as well as offer our regional and national account clients more options in the Greater Phoenix area,” said Layne Levine, president of sales and marketing for Airband. “Phoenix’s topography is ideal for fixed-wireless services, and we’re delighted to further invest in this community and give local businesses a better choice for last-mile access, one with unprecedented scalability and speed to install.”

Airband owns and operates the leading fixed-wireless network based on WiMAX technology. The company focuses solely on businesses, delivering broadband data services – including dedicated bandwidth up to GigE speeds and Voice over IP (VoIP). Airband’s network bypasses the traditional wireline infrastructure, so customers benefit from faster installations, rapid bandwidth upgrades and more accessible customer care. Airband currently serves more than 3,500 customers nationwide.

“In the almost four years that we’ve been an Airband customer, they’ve never let us down,” said Jordan Geotas, chief technology officer and chief financial officer for Phoenix-based Di-Matrix Precision Manufacturing. “Also, when we needed additional Internet service installed quickly at one of our new facilities, Airband had our high-bandwidth data services up and running within one day, and without charging us any extravagant fees.”

With 25 years of experience, Di-Matrix is an AS9100, ISO 9001:2000, and NADCAP certified manufacturer of sheet metal fabricated, machined, welded and painted components and assemblies for a wide range of industries including military, aerospace, commercial, industrial, medical, electronic and automotive. Di-Matrix uses Airband’s fixed-wireless broadband for data services.

Airband first entered Phoenix in 2002, making it the company’s first market outside of Texas. As part of its Phoenix expansion, Airband has blanketed the metropolitan area – including Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Deer Valley, and Mesa – with broadband coverage. In addition, Airband upgraded equipment and network capacity across the Phoenix-area base stations with WiMAX technology to further broaden service capabilities.

Today, Airband offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-speed data, VoIP, virtual private network (VPN) and other managed solutions – delivered over the industry’s most scalable last-mile network.

Customer benefits include:

- Faster installations than traditional wireline services;
- Services delivered via Ethernet for easy LAN connectivity and WAN extension;
Significant cost savings; and
- Guaranteed 100-percent network uptime.

The Phoenix expansion is part of a larger national expansion strategy as Airband seeks to grow to new markets, while expanding coverage in its existing markets including Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas/Fort Worth; Greensboro, N.C.; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Ft. Lauderdale; Orange County, Calif.; Philadelphia; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; San Antonio and San Diego.

• Airband Communications Inc.