2Wire and Sharp Collaborate for Complete Data and Voice Home Network Over HPNA Technology Demonstration at SUPERCOMM 2001.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2001

Sharp's Industry-First HPNA Telephone Technology Combined with

2Wire's HomePortal Residential Gateway Leverages Existing Telephone

Lines to Create Complete Home Network

2Wire(TM), Inc. (www.2Wire.com), the leading provider of residential gateways, today announced a joint technology demonstration with Sharp Corporation (http://sharp-world.com/) that will demonstrate complete data and voice networking for the home at SUPERCOMM 2001 (2Wire booth No. 6148). 2Wire will showcase Sharp's industry-first telephone with integrated HomePNA (Home Phoneline Networking Alliance) technology in conjunction with 2Wire's award-winning HomePortal(TM) residential gateway.

Utilizing HomePNA technology that enables phoneline networking over standard telephone lines, the Sharp HPNA telephone communicates with the 2Wire HomePortal residential gateway, establishing a voice home network without any new wiring required. By connecting a Sharp HPNA telephone to the 2Wire HomePortal network, users can easily create a telephone system similar to those used in small businesses without structured wiring. In addition, users can program and manage up to ten Sharp HPNA telephones via the HomePortal browser-based user interface, enabling the user to customize their home voice network as needed.

"With the rapid growth of broadband in the United States, and with broadband ready to take off in Japan this coming year, we believe there is a tremendous market for products like telephones and other peripherals that can take full advantage of a broadband connection but don't require additional home wiring," said Hidenori Takahara, division general manager of the Business Communication Systems Division for Sharp. "We're pleased to work with an industry leader like 2Wire to show our customers how easily they can create a complete data and voice network for their homes."

Offering dual modes, the wireless Sharp HPNA telephone operates over standard analog telephone signals, as well as HPNA. The telephone provides toll quality voice in the home and allows access to VoDSL and VoIP via the 2Wire gateway. It also supports extension-to-extension dialing and is easy to use (its operation is the same as a regular phone). This phone is a technology demonstration sample for the SuperComm show; price, availability and features of a production model have not yet been announced.

As service providers roll out Voice over Broadband services to enable multiple telephone lines over a single DSL connection, they are finding that while each telephone jack is capable of supporting up to two phone lines, the jacks are most often wired for only a single line and therefore cannot support new voice services. With Voice over HPNA technology, the same set of telephone wires that carries the primary phone line can also deliver a second, third, and fourth phone line. VoHPNA adds toll-quality voice service on top of the existing HPNA technology specifications, and is expected to be ratified by the HPNA industry organization shortly.

"By demonstrating HPNA telephony with our HomePortal residential gateway, Sharp provides further proof that HPNA technology is ready for prime time," said Roy Johnson, vice president of Marketing and Business Development for 2Wire. "Enabling quality of service over HPNA networks will help foster all types of voice over broadband technologies including VoATM and VoIP, and we're pleased to work with Sharp to demonstrate a simple voice networking solution for home users."

2Wire's HomePortal residential gateway enhances broadband service by allowing users to create an affordable and easily managed home network. By plugging the HomePortal into any telephone jack, users instantly gain high-speed Internet connectivity and the ability to network PCs, peripherals and Internet appliances via an Ethernet, HPNA, or wireless network without adding any additional wiring. Integrating a network hub, high-performance router, business-grade firewall and value-added software all within a single device, the HomePortal is easy to install and easy to manage via a browser-based user console that provides a familiar interface for user-friendly home networking.

About Sharp

Sharp Corporation is a worldwide developer of innovative products and core technologies that play a key role in shaping the future of electronics. As a leader in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and digital technologies, Sharp offers one of the broadest and most advanced lines of consumer electronics, information products and electronic components, while also creating new network businesses. Sharp Corporation currently employs about 60,100 people in the world and recorded consolidated annual sales of over 2,012.9 billion yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001. For more information, please visit Sharp 's Web site at http://sharp-world.com/.

About 2Wire

2Wire, Inc. (www.2Wire.com) is dedicated to developing integrated products that deliver broadband content and services throughout the home. 2Wire's full suite of broadband solutions, which includes the award-winning line of HomePortal residential gateways, provide consumers with a simple, flexible way to leverage a broadband connection to enable feature-rich Internet, telephony, entertainment, and other services to be delivered to computers, phones and entertainment equipment.

2Wire was named Technology Partners Technology Outlook "Investor's Choice" for the second consecutive year. The company has also been recognized as one of the Hot 100 Private Companies by Upside magazine. 2Wire's HomePortal wireless residential gateway was awarded Best of Show honors at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2001.

Note to Editors: 2Wire, the 2Wire logo and HomePortal are trademarks of 2Wire, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.