Airgo Partners With STMicroelectronics to Develop First MIMO Wireless Set-Top Box Reference Design

Airgo Partners With STMicroelectronics to Develop First MIMO Wireless Set-Top Box Reference Design

Airgo's True MIMO Media(TM) Gen3 Technology to Be Integrated into STMicroelectronics' STx7100 Platform as a Turnkey Solution, Enabling Video Content to Be Streamed Wirelessly Around the Home

ANGACable, COLOGNE, Germany, May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Airgo Networks, Inc., pioneer and leader in high performance wireless technology, today announced it is teaming up with the world leader in set-top box (STB) ICs, STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), to enable STBs to distribute rich media content to TVs and other devices around the home wirelessly.

STMicroelectronics' products are currently found in the majority of cable, satellite, terrestrial and Personal Video Recorder (PVR) STBs available on the market today. Airgo's True MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) Media technology, capable of 240 Mbps which enables even faster speeds than a wired connection to deliver a flawless multimedia experience, will power STMicroelectronics' latest generation of wireless-capable STB solutions.

STBs featuring True MIMO Media technology will be able to stream live TV and movies, including high definition content, throughout a home -- enough to ensure a viewer experience similar to watching content on a TV directly wired to the STB. This will allow viewers to, for example, record a live TV show on the PVR in their living room, then pause and watch the program from the bedroom. No cables are needed to connect each networked device, making set-up significantly easier and removing the need to drill holes through walls, run wires under the carpet or pay for a professional installation. Additionally, any STB in the home powered with STMicroelectronics chipsets can now access PC media content wirelessly.

"Wireless offers consumers much greater convenience and eliminates expensive support and installation costs that are currently preventing service providers from fully distributing video content around the home," said Christos Lagomichos, corporate vice president and home entertainment group general manager of STMicroelectronics. "Airgo was a natural choice of partner since it has consistently led the field in developing wireless technologies for home networking that offer superior speed, range and reliability."

"Airgo and STMicroelectronics' reference design is the first wireless STB solution that provides the foundation of the digital home by delivering reliable high definition streaming to replace cables and deliver internet content to TVs and displays," said Greg Raleigh, president and CEO of Airgo Networks. "Moreover, we are enabling the convergence of other high value digital services such as VoIP, gaming and intensive data applications. Airgo believes its partnership with STMicroelectronics, the leading provider of chipsets to the STB market, will drive the creation of more powerful, feature-rich and high-performance wireless home entertainment networks that will firmly lend competitive advantage to service providers."

About Airgo Networks, Inc.

The founders of Airgo Networks have pioneered a wireless communication technique known as Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). A breakthrough in wireless, MIMO OFDM has been adopted as the foundation for defining the new IEEE 802.11n standard for next generation Wi-Fi(R). Airgo is first-to-market with 802.11a/b/g-compliant MIMO enhanced chipset, software and reference design solutions. Now in its third generation, Airgo's True MIMO(TM) technology has surpassed the speed of wireline connections, enabling the most bandwidth-intensive applications and eliminating the need for wires at home, at work, and in public places. Founded in January 2001, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. Information about Airgo Networks is available at www.airgonetworks.com.

NOTE: Airgo and the Airgo logo are registered trademarks of Airgo Networks, Inc. Airgo Networks, True MIMO, All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Airgo Networks, Inc.

CONTACT: Joe Volat of Airgo Networks, +1-650-475-1983, or
joevolat@airgonetworks.com; or Press/Analyst Inquiries, Adriana Gascoigne of
LEWIS PR, +1-415-992-4424, or adrianag@lewispr.com; or Sales Inquiries, Beau
Beck of Airgo Networks, +1-650-353-6035, or beau@airgonetworks.com

Web site: http://www.airgonetworks.com/

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