Agere Systems Announces Industry's Most Powerful Distributed Feedback Raman Pump Lasers for 10- and 40-GBIT/s Optical Networks.

Business/Technology Editors

ALLENTOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2001

Agere Systems (NYSE: AGR.A), the world leader in communications semiconductors, today announced the industry's most powerful 14xx nanometer (nm) distributed feedback (DFB) Raman pump lasers used to boost signal power in ultra-high capacity optical networking systems. These pump lasers support Raman amplification in both co-pumping (in which the pump's optical power is transmitted in the same direction as the communications signal) and counter-pumping (in which power is sent against the signal) configurations with excellent wavelength stability.

These new additions to Agere's 269-type family of 1480 and 14xx nm pump lasers offer an operating power of 280 milliwatts (mW) with drive currents comparable to high-power Fabry-Perot (FP) lasers. 14xx nm pump lasers are used for Raman amplification, which boosts a signal using the transmission fiber as the gain medium.

"Agere has a long and successful history of developing and manufacturing 14xx and 15xx nm indium-phosphide laser products for terrestrial and submarine markets," explained Stefan Rochus, Agere's director of marketing for submarine and amplifier applications. "Agere now becomes the only company to offer a complete range of high-power FP, fiber Bragg grating-stabilized (FBG) and DFB lasers for Raman and EDFA applications."

These new high-power DFB products represent a breakthrough in 14xx nm pump laser technology by integrating the beneficial characteristics of an external FBG laser design - such as stimulated Brillouin scattering suppression - with the superior relative-intensity noise (RIN) performance of a DFB laser. The combination of both characteristics is critical to enable co-propagating Raman pumping, which distributes gain over the first few kilometers of the transmission fiber. The typical RIN value of Agere's DFB lasers is -158 dB/Hz, a major improvement over comparable external FBG-stabilized lasers with a typical RIN of -125 dB/Hz. Integrating wavelength stabilization into the chip eliminates the external FBG and thus also improves the stabilization over operating temperature.

"There is broad acceptance from systems makers that counter-pumping Raman can be used to increase system performance," said Tom Hausken, director of optical components at market research firm Strategies Unlimited. "This new laser's ability to enable co-propagating Raman extends the performance even further."

Agere is currently sampling 14xx nm high-power DFB lasers, with production quantities expected in the third calendar quarter of 2001.

Agere Systems Inc., formerly the Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies, is the world leader in semiconductors for communications applications. Lucent has announced it intends to spin off Agere Systems as an independent company. Agere Systems offers integrated optoelectronics and integrated circuits solutions to help customers reduce the time and expense of developing new communications equipment. It also provides wireless computer networking solutions through its ORiNOCO 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, 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. 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.