CONTACT: Steve Harris
Cometa Networks
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mediarelations@cometanetworks.com
Cometa Networks Names Gensheimer as COO
San Francisco, January 13, 2003 -- Cometa Networks, Inc. today announced that Joe Gensheimer, a well-known telecommunications executive, engineer and attorney, has joined the company as chief operating officer. As Cometa's COO, Gensheimer, 51, will bring his experience in the wireless, local, long distance and data industries to the tasks of managing the company's relationships with its network and systems providers, as well as overseeing a variety of business development activities.
Cometa Networks was founded by leading technology companies AT&T, Intel and IBM, and global investment concerns Apax Partners and 3i. It plans to provide broadband wireless internet service to telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable operators and wireless carriers, who then can offer their customers wireless Internet access, using wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, also called 802.11.
"We are thrilled to have an executive of Joe's industry stature join the Cometa team," said Larry Brilliant, President and interim CEO of Cometa Networks. "He brings a wealth of experience that will accelerate our business."
"I look forward to working with this team to deliver a high-quality wholesale service that telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable operators and wireless carriers can provide to their end user customers," said Gensheimer.
Most recently, Gensheimer was Senior Vice-President for Sprint Corporation and General Counsel of Sprint PCS. Prior to Sprint he was Senior Counsel for IBM's mainframe business and Senior Attorney at GTE. He received law and economics degrees from UCLA and a degree in engineering from Northrop Institute of Technology.
Cometa Networks is working with major national and regional retail chains, hotels, universities and real estate firms to deploy the broadband wireless access service in "hot spots" throughout the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas.
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This news release includes statements about potential future events that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions that it is a new venture and its success will be affected by a number of factors, including its ability to raise sufficient amount of capital and enter into satisfactory commercial arrangements with customers and suppliers. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what the Company currently foresees.