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Motorola Introduces Next Generation Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Roadside Network Equipment.

Departments of Transportation, Auto Manufacturers and Application Developers can begin studying advanced vehicle safety systems and characteristics specific to 5.9GHz band.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – May 8, 2006 – Today, at the ITS America 2006 Annual Meeting & Exposition, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) announced the availability of its MOTODRIVE™ wireless network architecture in the 5.9 GHz band. Motorola is working with select industry stakeholders to use key MOTODRIVE components today, under an existing 5.9GHz experimental license, to more accurately test the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) applications and use cases identified by the US Department of Transportation.

MOTODRIVE is a roadside network architecture, aimed at supporting the government’s VII initiatives, that explores how broadband wireless technology could one day reduce traffic accidents and road congestion by establishing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside communication capabilities.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allocated the 5.9 GHz radio frequency spectrum to the U.S. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Community so they can begin testing Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) based applications in support of the VII initiatives.

As VII stakeholders collaborate to define the future DSRC standard, Motorola has developed MOTODRIVE, which assembles off-the shelf components and technologies, including the network, processing hardware, applications manager, applications, and systems management, that serve as a surrogate to the DSRC standard of the future. Motorola has conducted nearly 2,000 miles of on-the-road testing of MOTODRIVE in the 2.4GHz frequency band, and is exploring applications that move vehicle safety from reactive, to proactive systems, by providing drivers with collision avoidance, road hazard and proximity alerts among other things.

“Motorola’s MOTODRIVE network architecture, operating in the 5.9GHz band, moves us one step closer towards the US DOT’s VII vision by providing a cost effective, managed platform upon which applications can be rapidly developed, deployed and validated today. With this system, our customers can now study the coverage, propagation and multipath characteristics specific to the 5.9GHz band,” said Scott Propp, director of Connected Vehicle platforms for Motorola.

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