Message #12 From:
NewsBot Date: November 8, 2005 03:00:00 AM
ERFW News ERF Wireless and Micro-News Network to Provide Wireless Emergency Communications Network; Harris County, Texas to Evaluate Wide Area Wireless Disaster Notification System
LEAGUE CITY, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2005--ERF Wireless (OTCBB:ERFW), a leading provider of enterprise-class wireless broadband products and services, announced today that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Micro-News Network (MNN) of Houston, Texas, to provide dedicated wireless emergency communications systems to cities, counties, municipalities and the federal government, as well as a number of targeted industrial markets. ERF Wireless and Micro-News Network will initially focus their joint efforts on providing a dedicated wireless messaging system to the Harris County Citizen Corps Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), one of the country's most highly-rated CERT programs. ERF Wireless will be the exclusive wireless infrastructure provider to Micro-News Network worldwide.
Jeffrey C. Burkman, P.E., President and CEO of Micro-News Network commented, "Micro-News Network is a wireless 'area-specific' emergency alert notification company that has developed a solution that provides effective emergency information dissemination, even when other emergency notification systems have failed due to the loss of power or disruption of landline and cellular phone service. Our Smart News Alert Pak (SNAP) system delivers alarms and full-text messages to first responders, the people who need critical, uninterrupted information in order to protect the lives and property of the communities they serve. ERF Wireless' network and wireless transmitter products provide a proven, reliable and state-of-the-art infrastructure that complement MNN's SNAP-COM messaging system."
Burkman went on to note that beyond the application for emergency-response teams, MNN has also developed a larger system for direct notification of the general public in any location specifically affected by an emergency condition. "From weather problems, such as hurricanes, to toxic releases from industrial plants, from AMBER alerts to flooding rivers, our system can instantly notify those most at risk, without disturbing the population outside the affected area," says Burkman. "We believe there will also be a role for this technology in the growing Homeland Security infrastructure."
Mark Sloan, Coordinator for the Harris County CERT, said, "The ability to notify every affected team leader, even when the traditional communications systems are down, is a critical step forward in our ability to respond to and successfully manage emergency situations across the very large area of Harris County. The Harris County Citizen Corps sees the test of the MNN system as a key improvement in its ability to stay ahead of the technology curve in responding to emergency situations."
The implementation of MNN's SNAP technology will enable the Harris County Citizen Corps CERT coordinator to instantaneously and simultaneously notify multiple team leaders about specific incidents, specific locations and specific actions required. And, the MNN system will allow continuous communication throughout the recovery phase. The Harris County program will also validate the ability of MNN's system to deliver required information to its own, newly deployed SNAP-(TM)50 receivers, as well as the devices currently used such as cell phones, PDA's, pagers, telephones, faxes and the Internet.
R. Greg Smith, CEO of ERF Wireless, commented, "This joint effort with Micro-News Network is a good example of how ERF Wireless can use its 25 years of wireless broadband infrastructure and network experience to solve a communications problem currently facing many cities, counties and local governments, as well as federal authorities. The problem of how to effectively communicate among various authorities and to the general population in the face of a pending disaster, as well as during and after the disaster, was particularly highlighted recently as hurricanes Katrina and Rita crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast. Wireless networks dedicated to disaster communications, such as the ones being implemented under our relationship with Micro-News Network, could be extremely valuable not only to local, state and federal authorities in the United States, but also to cities and governments in countries throughout the world."
About ERF Wireless
ERF Wireless Inc. is a fully reporting public corporation located in League City, Texas. The company specializes in providing wireless broadband product and service solutions to enterprise, commercial, and residential clients on a regional and national basis. For more information, please visit our web site at www.erfwireless.com or call 281-538-2101.
About Micro-News Network
Micro-News Network (MNN) is a wireless "area-specific" emergency alert notification company that has developed a solution that provides effective information dissemination. For more information about the company and its solutions, visit www.mnn.com. Or call 1-281-895-8068.
Forward-looking statements in this release regarding ERF Wireless Inc. and Micro-News Network are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, continued acceptance of the company's products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, the company's dependence upon third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
