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airBand plans to spread out: Purchase of Baltimore firm's assets may help it grow beyond Southwest
Terry Maxon
Dallas Morning News, Mar 29, 2005

Dallas-based airBand Communications will announce today that it is buying the fixed wireless assets of a Baltimore firm as part of airBand's strategy to expand its system beyond the Southwest.

airBand which provides Internet service wirelessly through base stations and antennas, is buying the assets from Accelacom LLC, a broadband service provider in the Baltimore area that has discussed expanding into Philadelphia.

airBand was launched five years ago with the idea of nation-wide coverage. However, with the downturn of the telecom industry, airBand reined in those plans and focused on regional growth. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition is an indication that airBand is ready to expand, Lisa Kolczun, airBand's vice president of marketing, said Monday.

"While we still believe we can further penetrate our existing markets in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix, we also know that to achieve the growth we want, we need to move into new markets," she said.

airBand serves customers in nearly 1,000 sites in its three markets, including 453 buildings in Dallas-Fort Worth.

In addition to the wireless broadband service, it offers voice service over the Internet, using high-speed T-1 lines.

Ms. Kolczun said the company hopes to add significantly more customers in Baltimore by providing voice over Internet protocol service. Accelacom offers only the wireless data service.

airBand, which says it is profitable in all its markets, said it is closing on $15 million to $20 million in funding for its expansion.