City of Long Beach, Calif. Goes Wireless With Intermec; Downtown Wireless Internet District Provides Free High-Speed Internet Access for Residents and Visitors

EVERETT, Wash., Jan 7, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Slow dial-up connections and internet access fees are a thing of the past for shoppers, diners and visitors in Long Beach, Calif.

Now, visitors to the downtown area can connect to the Internet for free, courtesy of the city's new Downtown Wireless Internet District. Unlike other wireless "hot spots," which typically require monthly or per-minute access fees, Long Beach provides the high-speed access at no charge.

Thanks to a wireless network with wireless access points from Intermec Technologies Corp., anyone with a laptop or Microsoft Windows Pocket PC-equipped personal digital assistant with an 802.11b wireless radio card can access the Internet. The weather-proof Intermec MobileLAN 2100 wireless access points, based on the Wi-Fi(TM) 802.11b networking standard, provide a broadband connection to a centrally located switch at speeds up to 11Mbps. In comparison, an average dial-up connection runs at approximately 54Kbps.

To access the system, users simply open their Internet browser, which will automatically load a portal site for Long Beach's Pine Avenue Hot Zone. Users then can check e-mail, download files or just surf, all at speeds up to 50 times faster than with a standard dial-up connection. The Wireless Internet District, which can accommodate hundreds of simultaneous users, encompasses several blocks in Long Beach's downtown core, an area of restaurants and retail shops popular with visitors and business travelers. Future plans include extending the wireless network to the convention center, marina area and the Long Beach Airport.

The wireless network is designed to allow users to roam throughout the District without losing connectivity. For example, a user may be downloading a presentation while finishing a cup of coffee at a local cafe. With the network's roaming capability, there's no need to wait for the file transfer to be complete before heading down the street to do some shopping. To ensure this seamless coverage, Intermec conducted a site survey to determine optimum placement for the access points and antennas to maximize the range and speed of the network.

"We wanted to make sure that we provided easy, hassle-free connectivity with no gaps or dead spots," said Bruce Mayes, project manager for the Long Beach wireless HotZone. "Intermec's expertise in wireless network design was one of the keys to making that happen. And since the MobileLAN 2100D is designed to withstand harsh environments, we know people will be able to rely on the wireless network even on the rare days when it rains in Long Beach."

"Intermec has 20 years' experience designing and installing mission-critical wireless networks for high-traffic outdoor and industrial environments," said Pam Cory, Intermec vice president of systems marketing. "Public wireless network access is becoming a `Main Street' phenomenon. Intermec is proud to have been selected by the City of Long Beach to help it fulfill this exciting vision."

To view the portal site from outside the Hot Zone, visit http://www.longbeachportals.com/.

     About Intermec
	
	

Intermec Technologies Corp., a UNOVA Inc. (UNA) company, is a leader in global supply chain solutions and in the development, manufacture and integration of wired and wireless automated data collection, Intellitag(R) RFID (radio frequency identification), mobile computing systems, bar code printers and label media. The company's products and services are used by customers in many industries to improve productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations, from supply chain management and enterprise resource planning to field sales and service. For information about Intermec, visit http://www.intermec.com/.

To learn more about how companies can benefit from Intermec's supply chain technologies, contact Intermec Technologies Corp., 6001 36th Ave. West, Everett, WA 98203-9280 USA; telephone 800/347-2636; or visit Intermec's web site at http://www.intermec.com/. To learn more about UNOVA, visit http://www.unova.com/.

For information about Intermec:
	Kathie Jackson Anderson, 425/348-2799
	kathie.anderson@intermec.com
	or
	For information about this announcement:
	Lois Fenimore, 425/348-2692
	lois.fenimore@intermec.com
	
	

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