Press Release

MLNet lays down the gauntlet in Dublin

Secure Wireless IP Network Operator plans to replicate in Dublin, the success it has enjoyed in Manchester and Liverpool.

Having reached profitability in its first City - Manchester - and following successful launch of services in Liverpool, Metronet has announced that it is to bring high-speed wireless Internet and IP circuits to Dublin through its subsidiary Joint Venture - MLNet Limited.

In entering Dublin, MLNet is to retain the local focus that has proved so successful in the UK under the leadership of its Dublin-based management team headed up by Martin Smyth, managing director and Carl Grice, technical director.

The Company claims to have identified a niche market for its high-end wireless connectivity services delivered to a Service Level Agreement that can only be matched by legacy fixed wired service providers costing many times the price of the MLNet proposition.

The Company is to target corporate data clients and seeks to engage with the Garda Schiocana and Council Authorities to promote use of its network infrastructure to support wireless DVD quality CCTV video and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems.

Commenting on the expansion, Martin Smyth, said, "The Company has already achieved a number of milestones including the first wireless communications service provider to reach profitability, the first to support wireless IP CCTV video streaming across an urban wireless WAN and the first to install a Gigabit wireless connection in the UK".

Since targeting corporate data customers in October 2006, Metronet has acquired more than one hundred and forty customers in Manchester for its high quality cost effective alternative to traditional leased line circuits. In Liverpool, the Company is well on the way to break-even having only committed to delivery from May.

Smyth claims that corporate customers increasingly appreciate the quality of service delivered by the Company at a price point where traditional network operators simply cannot compete. "That MLNet targets delivery of services within five working days of receipt of order and operates to a 99.95% Service Level Agreement is a real bonus", he said. Unlike other operators, MLNet offers a zero obligation site survey.

MLNet is to compete head-to-head with traditional communications companies such as BT, NTL and Eircomm, whilst exploiting weaknesses that it perceives in services provided by other wireless operators such as Irish Broadband over which it claims to offer rental savings of 10%.

MLNet is keen to stress that its network infrastructure is dedicated to B2B Users and that it does not support consumers. Martin Smyth claims that this is important as it guarantees that MLNet customers will never be competing across a backbone infrastructure with home users, which provides further reassurance regarding the quality of ongoing service at any time of day.

In addition to competitive pricing, MLNet claims that its delivery of circuits that are fully symmetrical and completely uncontended will be of particular interest to business subscribers who until now have experienced varying quality of service due to sharing resource with other users. Mr Smyth is keen to point to his own market research which suggests customers will demand high-speed services operating at speeds up to 1Gbps.

The newcomer to the Irish market brings with it a significant network management infrastructure that will enable MLNet to deliver against a 99.95% Service Level Agreement: a service level that Mr Smyth argues is only normally associated with high-level cabled leased line services.

"Irish businesses familiar with the quality of customer service from our competitors will appreciate the proactive nature of MLNet's support operation that is necessary for us to deliver against our Service Level Agreement", continued Martin, "Which is backed up by a 24x7 telephone support help-line. When you call MLNet, you get access to an engineer who is able to resolve issues without delay."

CCTV and ANPR solutions present an exciting opportunity for Local Authorities and The Police. Traditional hard-wired cameras are inflexible and where mistakes are made with location, the network investment has to be written off. With MLNet, cameras can be moved at will to accommodate evolving requirements. As important, cameras can be installed at low cost within five days of order, thereby allowing crime and disorder to be addressed very quickly.

Research by the MLNet has established that CCTV Operators have struggled with wireless solutions in what is a comparatively cluttered spectrum that is due to the high take up of residential wireless internet services. However, Martin Smyth is confident that MLNet will overcome spectrum congestion through delivery of a managed services proposition where the Company maintains a constant vigil over its infrastructure 24/7 to ensure that it delivers against its SLA commitment.

As well as supporting more than 140 wireless cameras in Manchester, the Company recently installed temporary cameras for the UEFA Cup Final staged in City that were subsequently redeployed following the event.

MLNet is to draw upon its experience in Manchester and Liverpool to develop a City-wide network with what it describes as 'fibre in the air': circumventing the time taken to install, and the costs associated with the installation of traditional fibre-optic cable infrastructure.

This, claims the Company, will afford it an opportunity to offer an unmatchable price/performance ratio to its customers and the ability to begin delivery of high quality resilient services from September onwards. Services for which it is now taking orders.

"Prior to September," continued Mr Smyth, "MLNet is to deliver managed point-to-point network services with a leased-line equivalent SLA at a fraction of the cost of traditional cable services."

Editors' Notes

MLNet

MLNet is a Joint Venture between Metronet in the UK and a local management team headed up by Martin Smyth: founding director of Network Architects, a specialist IT services company of ten years standing.

Metronet in the UK founded a viable wireless communications services business model in Manchester where it achieved a number of milestones, including the first (and possibly only) company of its type to reach profitability, the first to install a city-wide wireless CCTV network and the first to install gigabit wireless radios in the UK.

Metronet launched service in Liverpool in the spring of 2008 and MLNet was founded in June 2008 to service the Irish market. The Company's strategy is to develop a local support and management franchise in each of its cities of operation bringing local accountability

Contacts

PR:	John Earley	john@johnearley.com +44 (0) 7770 803 123
Company:	Martin Smyth	Martin@mlnet.ie +353 (0) 86 266 5222