Agere Systems Announces Enhancements to Transceiver and Receiver Product Family for Optical Networking Systems.

Business/High Tech Editors

ALLENTOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2001

Agere Systems (NYSE:AGR.A), the world leader in communications components, today announced enhancements to its family of transceivers and receivers for optical networking systems.

With small-form-factor size and speeds that range from OC-3 (155 megabits-per-second) to OC-192 (10 gigabits-per-second), these products provide systems manufacturers the design flexibility to enable a variety of network configurations and service offerings for service provider customers.

Agere's transceiver/receiver product family includes a new set of pluggable transceivers, new Netlight(TM) transceivers with extended temperature range, a high-performing 10 Gbit/s positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) receiver, and new 2.5 Gbit/s 1R/2R/3R receivers.

"Agere's transceiver and receiver portfolio can satisfy systems makers looking for discrete components or integrated solutions, no matter what design level they require," said Meg Acker, access marketing director for Agere's Optoelectronics division.

Agere's small-form-factor pluggable transceiver family

For the first time, Agere is announcing a family of small-form-factor pluggable transceivers that send and receive light signals across fiber-optic networks. These transceivers, called the NLP series, allow systems makers the flexibility of designing communications boards without the need to solder transceivers onto the board during manufacturing. With pluggable transceivers, systems manufacturers can improve manufacturing efficiency and give service providers the option to "plug in" transceivers based on the speed or distance required, as well as easily upgrade or reconfigure their systems over time.

These transceivers are available in OC-3 (155 Mbits/s), OC-12 (622 Mbits/s), OC-48 (2.5 Gbits/s) and Gigabit Ethernet (1.25 Gbits/s) and Fibre Channel (1.0622 Gbits/s) versions. The OC-3 and OC-12 versions provide intermediate reach (up to 15 km) ATM connections, while the gigabit versions have been designed for applications up to 5 km over single-mode fiber. The OC-48 version provides short reach (up to 2 km) connections.

Agere expects to sample the transceivers in the third calendar quarter of 2001, with production quantities available by the end of 2001.

Agere's NetLight transceivers

Agere has redesigned its NetLight 2417 transceivers to accommodate a wide temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees Celsius. This increased temperature range makes the transceivers perfectly suited for use in non-controlled telecom carrier environments as well as datacom applications such as enterprise LANs and Internet service provider networks. This temperature improvement is offered in the OC-3 and OC-12 NetLight transceivers. In addition, the transceivers' package and pin-out conform to a multisource transceiver agreement.

"Service provider customers require higher temperature devices, and this new suite of Netlight transceivers gives systems manufacturers components optimized for a wider range of operating temperatures as well as a reduced footprint," explained Acker. Designed for intermediate reach applications, the transceivers feature PECL logic level data inputs and outputs, and TTL logic-level disable inputs and signal-detect outputs.

Agere expects to begin shipping the improved performance 2417 NetLight transceivers in volume by the third calendar quarter of 2001.

Agere's 10 Gbit/s PIN receiver

Agere is also offering a high-performing 10 Gbit/s PIN receiver, called the R192P. Agere is part of a small-form-factor multi-source agreement with other developers of 10 gigabit receivers -- including JDS Uniphase, Toshiba and Fujitsu -- and Agere's receiver has been optimized to offer the best sensitivity (-18 dBm) and overload (+1 dBm) of this group. Better sensitivity translates to lower demands on the transmission side and longer transmission distances. Overload measures how susceptible a receiver is to optical input oversaturation.

"Systems makers are faced with intense cost pressures in delivering high-speed optical solutions," Acker said. "Agere's receiver is extremely cost effective for customers interested in a high-performance PIN solution."

Agere is also offering the R192P without a mounting flange, to provide customers the choice of even smaller-sized receivers. These "space-sensitive" receivers are ideal for products such as transponders and transceivers, in which board space is at a premium.

The R192P receiver has been developed using coplanar waveguide technology, which reduces radio-frequency noise more significantly than receivers using shielded coax. The receiver can be used in long-haul and intermediate-reach applications.

Samples and production quantities of the R192P receiver are available now.

Agere's 2.5 Gbit/s receiver family

Finally, Agere has enhanced its 2.5 Gbit/s 1R/2R/3R receiver family for intermediate- and short-reach applications. Agere's P172 detector now offers an extended temperature range of its high-sensitivity APD to -40 to +85 degrees Celsius. Agere's 2R and 3R APD receivers, called the R480 and R485, now use a single power supply, offering systems designers low-power consumption capability. In addition, the PIN versions of the P172/R480/R485 are now available with a multi-mode fiber connection option for improved receiver performance over short distances.

1R receivers are composed of a detector and pre-amplifier; 2R receivers add a post-amplifier; and 3R receivers add clock and data recovery electronics.

Samples and production quantities of these 2.5 Gbit/s receivers are available now.

For more product information, customers may visit Agere's Web site at http://www.agere.com. Customers in the United States may contact the Agere Systems customer response center at 800/372-2447 (in Canada, call 800/553-2448; outside of the U.S./Canada, call 610/712-4323) or [e-mail]. Written inquiries may be faxed to 610/712-4106 or sent to Agere Systems, Room 30L-15PBA, 555 Union Boulevard, Allentown, Pa. 18109, USA.

Agere Systems is the world's No.1 provider of components for communications applications with leadership in optical components and integrated circuits. This dual capability uniquely positions Agere to deliver integrated solutions that form the building blocks for advanced wired, wireless, and optical communications networks. Agere also designs and manufactures a wide range of semiconductor solutions for communications-related devices used by consumers such as cellular phones, modems, and hard disk drives for personal computers and workstations. In addition, the company supplies complete wireless computer networking solutions through the ORiNOCO(TM) product line. More information about Agere Systems is available from its Web site at http://www.agere.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on information available to Agere as of the date hereof. Agere's actual results could differ materially from those results stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, completion of the distribution of Agere stock by Lucent Technologies Inc., price and product competition, keeping pace with technological change, dependence on new product development, reliance on major customers and suppliers, customer demand for our products and services, availability of manufacturing capacity, components and materials, control of costs and expenses, timely completion of employment reductions and other restructuring activities, general industry and market conditions and growth rates and general domestic and international economic conditions including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see the prospectus filed by Agere with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2001, and the company's report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2001. Agere disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.