Teligent Teams With Telcom Ventures To Offer Fixed Wireless Services in Argentina VIENNA, Va., March 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Teligent, the global leader in broadband communications, today announced its expansion into Latin America through a partnership with wireless pioneer Telcom Ventures. Together, Teligent and Telcom Ventures plan to build advanced, fixed wireless communications networks in Argentina that will deliver high-speed, low cost data and Internet services for small and mid-sized businesses. The partnership represents Teligent's first entry into the Latin American market and will use radio spectrum in the 24-25 GHz band granted to affiliates of Telcom Ventures. The licensed spectrum covers Argentina's major markets, including Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario, Mendoza and La Plata, and includes 60 percent of Argentina's businesses. The Buenos Aires metropolitan area alone accounts for more than 50 percent of Argentina's telecommunications traffic and is considered the economic hub of Latin America. The second largest telecommunications market in Latin America, Argentina began restructuring its telecom industry with the deregulation of data access in the early 90's. Activities are underway today to deregulate voice and other services. "The Teligent opportunity in Argentina is enormous," said Teligent International President Richard J. Hanna. "Argentina's growing economy and the exploding Internet and data demands of small and mid-sized businesses underscore the need for the power and performance of Teligent's broadband communications networks." Telcom Ventures affiliates have been designing and building wireless networks and offering mobile wireless services to customers in Latin America over the last decade. Telcom Ventures is a lead partner in several Latin American wireless systems that serve more than 200,000 customers. Telcom Ventures also was co-founder of Nextel Argentina. Telcom Ventures President Rahul C. Prakash said: "The wealth of experience we have acquired in many of the world's most competitive telecom environments will pay dividends to businesses throughout Argentina." The Teligent-Telcom Ventures partnership will leverage Telcom Ventures' Latin American infrastructure to develop and build enhanced broadband networks in Argentina. Construction of the new networks is expected to begin immediately in Buenos Aires, home to more than a third of the nation's population. By year-end, the partnership plans to deliver Buenos Aires businesses advanced data services featuring the broadband power and speed of Teligent's digital SmartWave(TM) technology. Teligent and Telcom Ventures also are seeking local partnerships to help develop in-country sales channels, service and support. "We wish Teligent-Telcom Ventures great success in bringing competitive broadband communications services to our country," said Argentina's Secretary of Communications Dr. Henoch Aguiar. "We recognize that unrestricted competition in telecommunications can invigorate the Argentine business market and become a critical contributor to economic growth." Today's announcement is the latest in a series of initiatives that are expanding Teligent's global footprint. In February, Teligent announced a major partnership with Mannesmann Arcor to build and operate fixed wireless networks with the 26 GHz spectrum licenses awarded to Teligent and the 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz licenses awarded to Mannesmann Arcor. Since the beginning of the year, Teligent won a market-wide license to provide fixed wireless services in Hong Kong with partners HKNet and CCT Telecom and applied for spectrum licenses to develop fixed wireless networks in France with LD Com and Artemis. Teligent also has applied for spectrum licenses in Spain with Jazztel and is exploring other opportunities in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Teligent's local communications networks represent the marriage of the latest advances in high-frequency microwave technology with traditional broadband wireline equipment. The integration of these technologies enables Teligent to increase its local network efficiency and significantly lower network costs. About fixed wireless technology Teligent delivers fixed wireless services by installing small antennas on the roofs of customer buildings. When a customer makes a telephone call or accesses the Internet, the voice, data or video signals travel over the building's internal wiring to the rooftop antenna. These signals are then digitized and transmitted to a "base station" antenna on another building, usually less than three miles away. Each base station antenna gathers signals from a cluster of surrounding customer buildings, aggregates the signals and then routes them to a broadband switching center. At the switching center, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switches and data routers distribute the traffic to other networks, such as public circuit-switched voice networks, packet-switched Internet and private data networks. About Telcom Ventures Telcom Ventures, L.L.C. is a leading private equity investment firm, which is principally focused on the telecommunications and internet sectors. During the past 15 years, Telcom Ventures and its founders have participated in the development and rollout of all major wireless technologies and have successfully developed numerous companies in all sectors of the domestic and international wireless industry. Telcom Ventures is also a co-founder of Teligent. About Teligent Based in Vienna, Va., Teligent, Inc. (Nasdaq: TGNT) is a global leader in broadband communications offering small and medium-sized business customers local, long distance, high-speed data and dedicated Internet services over its digital SmartWave local networks in 40 major markets throughout the United States. The company is working with international partners to extend its reach into Europe, Asia and Latin America. Teligent's offerings of regulated services are subject to all applicable regulatory and tariff approvals. For more information, visit the Teligent website at: www.teligent.com Teligent and SmartWave are the exclusive trademarks of Teligent, Inc. Except for any historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that reflect the company's current views regarding future events. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could affect the company's growth, operations, markets, products and services. The company cannot be sure that any of its expectations will be realized. Factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievement to differ materially from those contemplated by its forward looking statements include, without limitation: 1) The company's pace of entry into new markets; 2) The time and expense required to build the company's planned network and ISP infrastructure; 3) The impact of changes in telecommunications laws and regulations; 4) General economic and competitive conditions; 5) Technological developments; 6) Other factors discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SOURCE Teligent, Inc. CONTACT: Media, Sheila S. Blackwell, 703-762-5540 or pager, 888-687-9528 or Investors, Michael S. Kraft, 703-762-5359 or pager, 800-981-5994, both of Teligent Web site: http://www.teligent.com