Cameron Communications Selects Next Level to Bring Video, Voice, Data ''Triple Play'' to Louisiana; Telco TV Leader Nets First IP TV Deployment, 5th ADSL Video Deployment.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ROHNERT PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2003

Cameron Communications, Inc., a new Next Level customer, selected equipment from Next Level Communications (Nasdaq:NXTV) to deliver the "triple play" of digital TV, high-speed Internet, and voice services to its customers in exchanges in southwestern Louisiana. Cameron selected Next Level's Full Service Access Platform after evaluating a host of equipment vendors. The Louisiana telco is Next Level's fifth ADSL+ customer since the company introduced video-over-ADSL in June, and the 51st customer overall to deploy Next Level's cable-competitive digital TV capabilities.

"With emerging cable and voice competition, we felt that the ability to deliver a triple play of cable-competitive TV, high speed Internet, and voice services was a strategic imperative for us," said George Mack, president and general manager of Cameron Communications. "Next Level is the only company that has proven its ability to successfully deploy these services, at over 50 other ILECs across the country. Time-to-market and quality of service were primary requirements, and we couldn't afford to be the test-bed for unproven solutions. Next Level has had five years and 100,000 subscribers to work the kinks out of its equipment, and Cameron and its customers will benefit from that experience."

Cameron will target customers in Hackberry, LA, as the first beneficiaries of a multi-phase rollout plan to be implemented throughout 2003. Residents of the Hackberry exchange will have the opportunity to select from a bundle of services offering over 100 channels of 100 percent digital TV programming, high-speed Internet services, and an enhanced array of voice services including on-screen caller ID and message waiting. Over the next year, Cameron will expand this service offering to reach four additional parishes in its serving area.

Cameron will be the first telco to use Next Level's Full Service Access Platform to deliver IP video content from the head-end to the set-top. Next Level joined with head-end partner Tut Systems and transport partner Metro-Optix to customize this solution for Cameron. Now, Next Level can demonstrate its unrivaled ability to utilize a single platform to support cable-competitive full services via number of transport options--IP or ATM, ADSL or VDSL--and across any deployment scenario--Digital Loop Carrier (DLC), Fiber-to-the-Node (FTTN), Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC), and soon, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH).

"Cameron recognized that multiple competitors, including cable companies, were coming to challenge its markets, so it decided to strike first and strike hard with a proven weapon--the Next Level platform," said J. Michael Norris, chief executive officer of Next Level. "Telcos don't have the time or patience to hand-hold a complex web of vendors through an already dramatic shift in their service offerings, nor do they have the luxury of jeopardizing their customer base because of inactivity. They need to react now, and Next Level is the only platform that offers a proven end-to-end solution that can stop cable in its tracks, and do so while minimizing any telco headaches."

About Next Level Communications

Next Level is a world leader in integrated broadband access platforms for delivering any combination of voice, high-speed data and multi-stream digital video services into the home or office. Next Level offers a unified multi-service, multi-band platform that lets communications service providers enter a more profitable broadband market segment by delivering a virtual communications and entertainment center over existing copper telephone lines. Next Level's highly scalable networking products, management tools and support assistance allow communications service providers to deliver a range of subscriber services, and realize significant new revenue streams. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Rohnert Park, Calif., the company has deployed its state-of-the-art systems for more than 100 communications service providers worldwide. For additional information, visit http://www.nlc.com.

Next Level Communications and the NLC logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Next Level Communications in the United States and other countries.

This release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are generally preceded by words including, without limitation, "will," "plans," "expects," "believes," "anticipates" or "intends." Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements in this release involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Factors that realistically could cause results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are set forth in "Risk Factors" in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001.