EION Wireless wins WCA’s 2005 Wemmie Award for Helping an Underserved Community in Ecuador

Washington, DC, January 5, 2005 – EION Wireless has been named a winner of the prestigious Wemmie Award from the Wireless Communications Association for the category of “Advanced Technology For The Underserved: Community Services” by boosting community services through a project in native areas of the Amazon Basin in Ecuador.

A Canadian provider of wireless solutions, EION has partners throughout North and South America, and provides cost-effective, innovative wireless solutions to many remote communities. Through an initiative of Ottawa-based Institute for Connectivity (ICA) in the Americas, and with its partner ChasquiNet, a non-profit organization in Ecuador, EION Inc. was able to provide a rural wireless connectivity solution to the community of El Chaco

El Chaco, a village in the northeastern region of the Napo Province of Ecuador, is nestled in a mountainous area of the Amazon jungle. It is a community that faces hardship in environmental and operating conditions, with approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Its main industries are forestry, agriculture, mining and exploration.

“It is a matter of great pride to Canada and EION that EION’s Wi-Fi Network has been installed and is running smoothly in El Chaco, a remote community in the Amazon Jungle of Ecuador,” commented Canada’s Ambassador to Ecuador Brian Oak. “This important launch event celebrates our combined ability to assist remote communities in Ecuador reap the true benefits of the digital revolution. We have found EION’s vision, core values and business model so exemplary and compelling that we feel they are ideal for adoption in other remote areas of the world.”

El Chaco is one of several key rural connectivity projects in Latin America and the Caribbean funded by ICA/IDRC, an agency of the Canadian government that works with key partners to select feasible sites to deploy wireless broadband networks. EION and ICA are deploying similar projects in more than 30 remote and underserved communities throughout Latin America.

The network is set up in a way to ensure the whole community is connected, and has already made a significant impact on the lives of its inhabitants.

The awards will be conferred on Jan. 13at WCA’s Eleventh Annual International Symposium & Business Expo at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, CA. The “Wemmies” are awarded to carriers and vendors using advanced wireless technology to deliver broadband service in innovative ways that demonstrate outstanding technological advances or exemplary service.