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UTStarcom Introduces Multiservice Optical Products to Optimize Service Economics in SONET and SDH Networks

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 December 2003, 06:00 CST

ALAMEDA, Calif., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UTStarcom, Inc. , a global leader in IP access networking and services, today announced two series of products within its NetRing(TM) optical product line. UTStarcom's NetRing 600, 2500, and 10000 multi-service optical transport products are designed to deliver high-density, highly efficient STM-1 to STM-64, PDH (E1, E3), Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet services in SDH-based carrier networks. The company's NetRing TX-60, TX-160, and TX-200 multi-service provisioning platforms provide a cost-effective way to deliver OC-3 to OC-192, DS1, DS3/EC-1, Transmux, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet services in SONET-based networks. With these new optical solutions, UTStarcom has further expanded its footprint beyond the access marketplace to offer end-to-end carrier-class support of circuit- and packet-based applications and services.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001102/UTSILOGO )

"UTStarcom has always been a leader in wireless and wireline access, and we have built some of the largest access networks in the world," said Bill Huang, chief technical officer at UTStarcom. "As our carrier customers grow subscriber volume for voice and data services, aggregation and transport become important factors in service efficiency and operating cost reduction. It is thus a natural next step for UTStarcom to extend its product energies in this direction."

UTStarcom has installed a large volume of NetRing optical nodes worldwide, and is gaining traction in the optical market. The company's NetRing solution is currently deployed with several service providers in North America, including IDACOMM, a subsidiary of energy and technology holding company IDACORP, Inc. . IDACOMM provides fiber optic broadband services for organizations in high technology, manufacturing, distribution, health care, education, and state and local government in eight western states.

"UTStarcom's optical products are well designed to optimize carrier networks with more features and flexibility in one platform," said David Bartlett, executive vice president of Operations at IDACOMM. "A single system delivers the services of multiple racks of equipment, which simplifies our operations dramatically. In addition, the NetRing distributed switch fabric architecture can scale efficiently to match our traffic growth needs."

(Editor's Note: See the announcement today titled, "UTStarcom Signs Optical Equipment Deal with IDACOMM" for complete information.)

Carrier-Class Edge Aggregation, Grooming, and Transport

UTStarcom's NetRing and NetRing TX products provide aggregation, grooming, cross-connect, and transport for SONET/SDH and Ethernet over SONET/SDH (EoS) services, with the availability and reliability carriers expect of SDH/SONET platforms. All systems support full-redundancy, multiple protection options, and in-service upgrades.

The different NetRing systems stratify into the following target applications:

-- NetRing 600 and NetRing TX-60 products provide edge aggregation and

multi-service transport of voice and data services for multi-tenant

unit (MTU), office building, and enterprise campus applications.

Carriers can also use these products to aggregate T1/E1 traffic at

wireless cell sites or other remote locations.

-- Carriers can choose the mid-range NetRing 2500 and NetRing TX-160

systems for edge aggregation and metro transport when more bandwidth

and capacity is required.

-- The high-end NetRing 10000 and NetRing TX-200 platforms provide up to

10 STM-64/OC-192 SDH/SONET service for Metro core or regional

transport applications, for interconnection and aggregation of optical

rings.

-- All NetRing products support carrier-grade Fast Ethernet and Gigabit

Ethernet services, including Ethernet Virtual LANs (VLANs) and

transparent LAN services (TLS).

UTStarcom's NetMan(TM) 6000 OMC element management system (EMS) provides carrier class, TMN compliant, full fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) management capabilities for the respective product suites.

Standards-Compliant, Multi-Service Platforms Optimize Carrier ROI

NetRing products are based on a distributed architecture that combines Add-Drop Multiplexing (ADM), Digital Cross-Connect System (DCS), and Ethernet switching functionality into an integrated, "pay-as-you-grow" multi-service system. With the NetRing TX products, carriers can interchange interface and control modules to help ensure maximum provisioning flexibility and investment protection.

The NetRing optical solutions from UTStarcom are among the first to support virtual concatenation, based on relevant ITU standards. With this functionality, carriers can have the provisioning granularity in any STS/VC increment, dramatically improving Ethernet/IP transport efficiency across SONET/SDH networks. UTStarcom's NetRing products support advanced EoS protocols, such as Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), which provides standards-based data encapsulation for efficient mapping of a wide variety of data protocols, including Ethernet, ESCON, FICON, Fibre Channel, and digital video into SONET/SDH. Built-in Ethernet management functionality enables carriers to apply traffic shaping and limiting policies on a per-port or per-traffic-flow basis for point-to-point Ethernet, Ethernet aggregation, Layer 2 switching, and Ethernet VLAN applications. Statistical multiplexing capability allows native Ethernet/data switching and oversubscription.

NetRing 600, 2500, and 10000 products comply with ETSI telecom standards for SDH deployment. The NetRing TX systems are fully NEBS Level 3 compliant and have obtained "RUS Acceptance" by the U.S. Government Rural Utilities Service (RUS) branch of the United States Department of Agriculture. RUS Acceptance enables rural U.S. telephone and utility companies to purchase and deploy NetRing TX platforms with funds obtained through low-interest RUS loans.

About UTStarcom, Inc.

UTStarcom is a global leader in IP access networking solutions and international service and support. The company sells its wireline, wireless, optical and switching solutions to operators in both fast growth and established telecommunications markets around the world. UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient end-to-end IP networks. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and design operations in New Jersey, China, and India.

For more information about UTStarcom, visit the company's Web site at http://www.utstar.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

The foregoing statements regarding the expansion of UTStarcom's product line and growth of its carrier customers are forward-looking in nature and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These factors include rapidly changing technology, possible downturns in the telecommunications market, competitive pressures on UTStarcom and its customers, and other uncertainties. The company also refers readers to the risk factors identified in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.