
<PAGE>   1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1



                                                   October 29, 1999



AirNet Communications Corporation
100 Rialto Place, Suite 300
Melbourne, FL 32901

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel for AirNet Communications Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the initial public offering by
the Company of up to 5,500,000 shares and up to an additional 825,000 shares to
cover over-allotments (the "Shares") of its Common Stock, $.001 par
value per share.

     In connection with this opinion, we are familiar with the corporate
fproceedings of the Company and we have examined the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company and the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No.
333-87693), filed initially with the Securities and Exchange Commission under
the Securities Act of 1933 on September 24, 1999, as thereafter amended (the
"Registration Statement"), relating to the above-mentioned proposed public
offering. In addition, we have examined such corporate records, certificates
and other documents, and reviewed such questions of law, as we have deemed
necessary or advisable in order to enable us to render the opinion contained
herein.

     In our examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to
us as originals, the conformity to unsigned documents of all documents submitted
to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals
of such documents.

     We assume that appropriate action will be taken, prior to the offer and
sale of the Shares, to register and qualify the Shares for sale under all
appropriate State "Blue Sky" and securities laws. Based upon the foregoing, we
are of the opinion that, upon consummation of the proposed initial public
offering, the Shares, when issued and delivered in the manner and for the
consideration stated in the Prospectus constituting a part of the Registration
Statement, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     We consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the Registration
Statement and to the use of our name in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus constituting a part thereof.

                                Very truly yours,

                                /s/ EDWARDS & ANGELL, LLP
