What Is The WiBoost Council?

The WiBoost Council is a group of companies that have come together to further the commercial and operational success of the WiBoost standard. The work of the WiBoost council includes:

• Promoting the WiBoost Standard.

• Ensuring interoperability between all WiBoost devices regardless of manufacturer.

• Improving and extending the WiBoost standard to incorporate new technological advances.

• Coordinating with others including international standards bodies and regulatory authorities.

WiBoost Council members are manufacturers, OEMs, vendors, components suppliers, service providers, ISPs, and other organizations involved with Internet connectivity.

What Are The Benefits Of Membership?

Equipment manufacturers, vendors, Internet service providers, and component suppliers can all benefit from joining the WiBoost Council. The WiBoost standard provides significant increases in bandwidth for broadband end users around the world (see separate white papers). Everyone benefits if all WiBoost devices interoperate seamlessly and remain secure. The Council oversees the important functions of ensuring interoperability and security.

The WiBoost Council will not only be the guiding force for compatibility issues but will also be the group that sets direction and guidance for additions and changes to the WiBoost standard in the future. Council members will also have the opportunity to license intellectual property (under RAND license agreements) for future improvements that may have been incorporated into the standard. Since each WiBoost device is connected to the Internet continually, upgrades and security patches can be automatically uploaded to each unit—this means that improvements can take place remotely and almost instantaneously. WiBoost Council members will guide this process as well.

WiBoost Council members, as licensees of WiBoost technology will have access to all WiBoost intellectual property necessary to build and test WiBoost products. Licensees will also have use of the WiBoost trademark, which is the definitive assurance of interoperability in the marketplace (see trademark use guidelines).

WiBoost Council members may participate in meetings and discussions to further understand the WiBoost market and influence the direction of that market. The WiBoost Council provides an ongoing opportunity to interface with vendors and manufacturers to gain improvements in functionality and reduce the cost of WiBoost equipment.

Information and ideas will be shared via the WiBoost Council website, regular email updates, meeting notes/minutes and annual meetings held to promote communication and decide on future directions or new technical specifications for the standard. WiBoost Council members will be listed on the WiBoost website (with links) as well as mentioned in press releases produced and distributed by WiBoost Inc.

Who Should Join The Council?

Equipment Vendors and Manufacturers

Vendors and manufacturers will benefit from the promotional and public relations efforts of the WiBoost Council, which will increase awareness of the WiBoost standard and its benefits to end users.

WiBoost certified products will be a low-risk purchase for end users since they will be compatible with products from all WiBoost certified vendors. This interoperability will increase the overall market available to all vendors, thus increasing sales and sales revenues. Customers will also be confident that units will work with other units in the field, thus further increasing customer satisfaction and decreasing support costs. Some equipment will likely be WiBoost only and some may have additional capabilities built-in, such as DSL/cable modem functionality or WiFi access. Manufacturers and vendors will benefit from being able to combine WiBoost with the additional features that they have expertise in providing.

Internet Service Providers

As Council members, ISPs will have advance notice of future hardware developments and can thus plan their marketing accordingly. Also, ISPs will be able to influence manufacturers' designs to better match their own requirements.

Component Suppliers

Component suppliers will benefit from contact with potential OEMs within the Council. This contact will provide opportunities for suppliers to influence manufacturers' designs and specifications.

What Are The Levels Of Membership?

In addition to the Board, there are three levels of membership within the WiBoost Council.

Principle Membership is for OEMs with research and development departments. It includes the following benefits:

• Principle members may introduce proposed extensions and improvements to the WiBoost standard under RAND license terms.

• Principle members may vote on extensions to the WiBoost standard.

• Principle members may build and certify WiBoost products conforming to the WiBoost standard.

• Principle members have access to the WiBoost Council website, all email updates, and meeting notes.

• Principle members may submit catalog submissions.

• Principle members may attend annual WiBoost meetings.

Regular Membership is for manufacturers who make WiBoost products but do not wish to participate in technical development of future extensions to the WiBoost standard. It includes the following benefits:

• Regular members may build and certify WiBoost products according to the WiBoost standard.

• Regular members have access to the WiBoost Council website, all email updates, and meeting notes.

• Regular members may submit catalog submissions.

• Regular members may attend annual WiBoost meetings.

Informational Membership is for companies and individuals who would like to be kept informed about the WiBoost standard. It includes the following benefits:

• Informational members have access to the WiBoost Council website, all email updates, and meeting notes.

• Informational members may submit catalog submissions.

• Informational members may attend annual WiBoost meetings.

Statements made in this paper are subject to change without notice and are not warranted by WiBoost Inc.