Avail Networks Extends Frontera Family of Broadband Multi-Service Access Platforms.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2000

Company Introduces Frontera(TM) 4000 Integrated Concentration Devices

for Higher Subscriber Densities; Adds Complementary IADs

for Complete In-Building Solution

Avail Networks(TM) today announced that it is expanding its Frontera family of multi-service access solutions with new models. The Frontera 4000 Integrated Concentration Devices (ICDs) complement Avail's Frontera 2000 ICDs, allowing providers to penetrate a broader range of multi-tenant units (MTUs), multi-dwelling units (MDUs), and campus locations with integrated voice, video, and data services.

Frontera 4000 ICDs combine up to 48 DSL and/or POTS subscriber ports for in-building and campus subscriber concentration, and are intended for deployment by Integrated Communications Providers such as BLECs, wireless LECs, voice/data LECs, and other providers focused on delivering converged voice, video, and data solutions to multi-subscriber locations. The Frontera ICDs' DSL and POTS ports can be allocated among multiple tenants to provide secure high-speed data connectivity as well as voice over broadband services such as VoDSL. Initial Frontera 4000 models will utilize SDSL and POTS subscriber ports with combinations of DS1, DS3, and OC-3 uplink interfaces for maximum local loop flexibility. First customer shipments begin at the end of the year, with prices starting under $17,000.

Frontera 4000 and Frontera 2000 platforms share a common switching and management architecture based on a high-performance, low-latency hardware ATM cell switch, voice DSPs, and a powerful RISC processor for higher-layer functions such as IP packet processing.

"The MTU services market is poised for tremendous growth, but it's clear even now that MTU-based providers must offer more than just basic high-speed data services to ensure their long-term survival," said David Hartmann, President and CEO of Avail. "Premium broadband services such as VoDSL offer the best way to increase service provider revenues and profits, and Avail's Frontera solutions are designed to do exactly that in MTU, MDU, and campus-style deployments."

According to Torto Wheaton Research, over 50% of MTUs in major U.S. metropolitan areas are smaller than 50,000 square feet, and approximately 90% are smaller than 200,000 square feet. These MTUs typically house fewer than 30 tenants, indicating a large opportunity for smaller subscriber concentration devices such as Avail's Frontera ICDs. The global MTU services and equipment opportunities are large as well, especially in regions where subscriber access is still limited to traditional WAN technologies and DSL is an attractive in-building service delivery option.

The concentration platforms that serve these MTU locations must do more than just enable high-speed data services. They must have the quality of service (QoS) capabilities required to ensure toll-quality voice and broadcast-quality video across numerous concurrent communications sessions at full system throughput. Avail's Frontera ICD platforms, with advanced switch-based traffic policing and QoS management, provide the granular latency and jitter controls needed for these delay-sensitive services.

In addition to the Frontera 4000 series, Avail announced a new line of complementary VoDSL IADs for subscriber premises. The Frontera 600 family of IADs allows BLECs and other providers to offer end-to-end in-building solutions for VoDSL services. Avail is the only multi-service access company with a single product family allowing VoDSL subscriber aggregation either centralized at an ICD "in the basement", or at subscriber premises with IADs. Frontera ICD and IAD solutions will ultimately offer interoperable VDSL-based subscriber and uplink ports to deliver the very high speeds achievable over in-building DSL.

Initial Frontera 600 models - with 8 or 16 POTS ports, 10/100 Ethernet, and an SDSL uplink - will be available at the end of the year, with prices starting at $1495. Avail's complete line of Frontera solutions is on display Sept. 18-21 at DSLcon in Boston.

About Avail Networks

Founded by computer networking and telecommunications industry veterans, Avail Networks was formed in 1999 to help service providers build the access networks required to cost-effectively deliver integrated data, voice, and video services to subscriber locations. Avail's products include the new Frontera family of broadband multi-service access solutions, and the award-winning RA-2000 dial concentrator family. Avail is headquartered at 305 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Telephone: [phone]. Website: http://www.availnetworks.com.

Avail Networks and Frontera are trademarks of Avail Networks, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.