LAKE TAHOE HOMEOWNERS’ WI-FI NETWORK UP AND RUNNING THROUGH MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY STORM AND WORST SNOWSTORM IN DECADES

Homeowners take control to get Reliable Wi-Fi Internet Access using Tropos Networks

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, CA - January 24, 2008 - Tropos® Networks, the market leader in metro-scale wireless mesh IP networks, today announced that the Bear Creek Homeowners’ Association has deployed a private Wi-Fi network using the Tropos Networks’ system to provide high-speed Internet access, for the first time, to 90 homes located at the base of the Alpine Meadows ski resort in North Lake Tahoe. A testament to its reliability in one of the harshest of conditions and rugged environments, the wireless network withstood the recent Martin Luther King Holiday storm and the worst snowstorm in decades that occurred during the first week of January.

We were anxious about holiday usage and winter snow loads being the real test of the Wi-Fi network. The Tropos network has held up very well during this storm and the major snowstorm we had in early January.  It really doesn't get harsher than the conditions we experienced then. BearNet as we call the network, never flinched,” said Susan Lange, co-chair of the Internet access committee and board member of Bear Creek Homeowners’ Association. “Yes, we had some slower response times, but it stayed up the entire time and everyone had Internet access through it all.  We lost one of our T1's during the latter part of the storm, but, the other stayed up and no one even noticed bandwidth availability was reduced.”

Ironically, one of the broadband network service providers they had considered in the area was down during the earlier January storm.

Homeowners Take Control
After frustrating years of asking for and being promised Internet access service from the local phone and cable companies that never materialized, the Bear Creek Homeowners’ Association decided to take control and find their own solution. They researched and evaluated a dozen or so alternative service providers and technologies including satellite, microwave and other Wi-Fi solutions, before selecting PRO 911 Systems to install their own Wi-Fi network using the Tropos Networks’ MetroMesh™ system.

“When we first looked into the Tropos Wi-Fi solution, the cost and the technology seemed too good to be true,” said John Koval, co-chair of the project. “We are really happy -- the Wi-Fi network is reliable, pays for itself and is affordable to our homeowners’ association members.”

The Deployment: “It Just Works”
The network was installed over Labor Day last year. Tropos MetroMesh Wi-Fi routers were placed on homeowners’ gables, with dual bonded T1’s for backhaul which provides a sizable 3 Mbs bandwidth connection. The goal was to ensure DSL equivalent service upload and download speeds – typically 750 Kbs/1.5 Mbs -- for all members. Depending on a homeowner’s location and layout, many of the association members also purchased an indoor wireless bridge to strengthen the signal. Lange consistently gets 2.8 Mbs upload and download speeds while most homeowners are getting about 1.5 Mbs.

The typography of the area is extremely rugged for a wireless network with peaks and valleys, numerous trees and, in the winter, heavy snow loads that have the potential to cause interference and, hence, performance problems. But with just some minor fine-tuning, the network has just worked.

“Everyone in the Bear Creek Homeowners Association is extremely happy we took this step. We had all worried about the extreme weather and terrain we live in, but, we are now breathing a breath of fresh air,” concluded Koval.

About PRO 911Systems
Since 1971, PRO 911Systems has been designing, building and deploying municipal wireless networks for county agencies, law enforcement, fire authorities, WISP’s, resorts, trailer parks and homeowner associations. Services and products offered include video surveillance, telemetry, automated meter reading, emergency medical services, voice over IP and the Internet. For more information, visit www.pro911systems.com.

About Tropos Networks, Inc.
Tropos® Networks is the market leader in delivering metro-scale wireless mesh network systems. The company's systems have been selected to unwire more major league cities than all competitors combined and are installed in 30 countries. The patented Tropos MetroMeshT architecture delivers the ultimate scalability, high capacity at low cost and great user experience demanded by service providers, municipalities and network users. Tropos Networks' unique expertise includes high-performance mesh software development, mesh RF engineering, metro-scale network planning, deployment and optimization, and navigating the municipal approval process. Tropos Networks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit www.tropos.com, call 408-331-6800 or write to info@tropos.com.

Tropos and PWRP are registered trademarks of Tropos Networks, Inc. Tropos Networks, MetroMesh, AMCE, TMCX, SABRE, CMDP and Metro-Scale Mesh Networking Defined are trademarks of Tropos Networks, Inc. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holder(s).