NetSpira Networks and Starent Networks to provide advanced charging solution to Verizon Puerto Rico

30th March 2004 - Tewksbury, Mass.

Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico, the island's premier wireless communications provider, has selected Starent Networks' next generation packet gateway as a key component in its Express Network deployment, a CDMA2000 1X high-speed data network.

The deployment of the Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway will provide Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico with market leading throughput, simultaneous sessions, and call events per second that in turn offers their subscribers exceptional quality and reliability for an emerging data services market. The operator will deploy the ST16 as a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) and Home Agent (HA) to provision high-speed data services for corporate and individual subscribers. Services enabled by the network include: Internet browsing, Brew, Push to Talk (PTT), and Mobile IP (MIP) for VPNs and roaming partners.

"We are committed to delivering the best network with the best end-to-end experience for our subscribers," said José Guzmán, director of wireless network operations for Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico. "With this focus, we set out to select the best network products available on the market. The Starent Networks solution clearly met our criteria."
Enhanced Charging Service
The Starent ST16's ability to provision enhanced, differentiated billing schemes played a key role in Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico's selection of the platform for its network deployment. Through the enhanced charging service, Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico can bill for advanced services and features based on individual applications or service plans rather than the existing blanket charging model generally deployed in mobile networks. The carrier will be able to charge for services based on application type, content, destination, transactions, and many other criteria. The solution leverages Starent Networks deep packet inspection and statistics gathering capabilities along with elements of partner NetSpira's advanced charging offering.
Subscribers will benefit from the enhanced charging capabilities in many ways, including:

* The carrier's ability to offer a wider variety of services,
* Only paying for services they want and only when they use them,
* Not paying for retransmitted information or failed transmission.

"We are very excited to work with Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico with its focus on delivering new solutions quickly to the market," said Ashraf Dahod, president and CEO, Starent Networks Corporation. "The ability to deploy advanced data services and our enhanced charging service will increase their competitiveness and the quality of service to the subscriber."

About Verizon Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Telephone is owned by Verizon Wireless International. It provides fix and mobile telecommunication services to 1.5 million subscribers in the island. For more information about Verizon, please visit the corporate Web site at http://www.verizonwireless.com

About NetSpira Networks

NetSpira Networks is an innovative and experienced company focused on enabling content-based charging and services in IP-based mobile networks, such as GPRS, UMTS and CDMA networks. Its flagship software product, NetSpira ECS, which has now been integrated into the Starent ST16 platform, is deployed and in commercial service in Vodafone, Telefónica Móviles and Optimus (part of Orange group). NetSpira Networks is headquartered in Madrid, Spain and has a technical office in Barcelona and a commercial office in London, U.K and Helsinki, Finland. For more information, please visit the corporate web site at www.netspira.com.

About Starent Networks

Starent Networks designs and develops next generation intelligent mobile infrastructure equipment for 2G, 2.5G and 3G wireless networks. Starent Networks' solutions provide voice, always-on high speed packet data and integrated voice/data capabilities to mobile operators, facilitating the delivery of unique services and a rich user experience. Starent Networks has deployed the ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway product line to customers worldwide including Asia, North America and South America. The company is processing 30 patents on its innovative technologies. The privately held company is headquartered in Tewksbury, Mass. with offices in Beijing, Chicago, Cape Cod, Mass., Kansas City, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Pune, India and Walnut Creek, Calif. Starent Networks was founded in August 2000. For more information, visit www.starentnetworks.com.

For additional information, please contact:

http://www.netspira.com/