Ascend Announces Deployment of V.90/K56flex Enabled Modems Throughout France Telecom Transpac's Internet/Intranet Network.

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 1999--

Enables More Customers to Access France Telecom Transpac's IP Network

at Speeds up to 56Kbps -- the Highest Speed Available Today for

Analog Modem Communications(a)

Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND), a leader in wide area networking (WAN) and Intelligent Networking (IN) solutions for providers and users of the next-generation public network, today announced deployment of its ITU-T V.90 compliant Series56 digital modem cards throughout France Telecom Transpac's complete Internet/Intranet network, based upon Ascend's high performance MAX TNT(TM) and MAX(TM) 4000 WAN access switches, and Conexant's V.90/K56flex(TM) remote access chipsets.

In February 1998, France Telecom Transpac announced that it had doubled the number of ports on its IP network, in partnership with Ascend, continuing the commercial success of its three Internet protocol (IP) services: -0-

--   Internet Avantage -- Internet access for companies and service
     suppliers such as Wanadoo, AOL and Infonie.

--   Global Intranet -- provides secure access to Internet
     technologies on enterprise networks, and Package Intranet, the
     version dedicated to small to medium size enterprise.

--   Global Extranet -- a unique solution that enables a company to
     set up a direct contact between its clients and its Web server.

-0-

This latest announcement allows customers dialing into the network with a V.90 or K56flex enabled modem, to access France Telecom Transpac's three IP services at speeds up to 56Kbps -- the highest speed available today for analog modem communications.

All of the Ascend modem cards in the network have been upgraded to interoperate with the V.90 modem standard, as well as being backward compatible with K56flex, V.34(TM), and V.FC(TM) client side modem protocols.

The operation was carried out with the help of technology developed by Conexant Systems Inc. (formerly Rockwell Semiconductor Systems), Ascend's supplier of V.90/K56flex remote access chipsets used within the Series56 digital modem cards.

"France Telecom today has a network with more than 60,000 ports installed," said Philippe Streiff, marketing manager at France Telecom Transpac. "Transpac already guarantees users K56flex modem access and currently proposes interoperability with the V.90 standard."

"High speed 56K access was a real revolution for Internet communications: it addresses concerns about connection rapidity and reduction of communication costs in the consumer market," declared Maurice Abecassis, general manager of Ascend France.

About France Telecom Transpac

France Telecom Transpac has been a leader in the data communications market for 20 years, and is the first Internet carrier in France with more than 60 percent of the traffic.

Through the Global One alliance, France Telecom Transpac has confirmed its leadership for Intranet services with its Global Intranet offer, available worldwide and also for SMEs (Package Intranet). Moreover, France Telecom Transpac is one of the pioneers in terms of Extranet services with its Global Extranet offer.

About Ascend Communications

Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND) develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide.

For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend Web site at http://www.ascend.com, or send e-mail to [e-mail]. For Investor Relations, please call Ascend's communications hotline at 800/648-3059 or 760/704-4423 (outside the U.S. & Canada). Additional investor information can also be accessed on Ascend's Web site at: http://www.ascend.com/investor/. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif. 94502; phone is 800/ASCEND4 and fax is 510/814-2300.

The foregoing statements may contain forward looking statements that are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from these expectations as a result of factors including, but not limited to, the Company's success in developing, introducing or shipping new products, competition, the mix of distribution channels employed, the Company's dependence on single or limited source suppliers for certain components used in its products, risks inherent in international sales, seasonality and general economic conditions. These and other factors are discussed in Ascend's 10-K, 10-Q and other filings made periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note (a): The ITU-T V.90 standard is the international modem standard allowing speeds of up to 56Kps. Current FCC restrictions, line conditions and other external factors will reduce data transmission rates and may reduce them significantly. V.90 allows for up to 56K modem transfers on the downstream portion of the call and 33.6K on the upstream portion of the call.