Carrier Access Corporation Introduces Wide Bank 28/STS-1; SONET STS-1 Terminal Multiplexer Delivering VT1.5 Tributary Based DSX-1 Local Service.

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 1999--

Carrier Access Corporation (Nasdaq: CACS), a leading provider of digital access solutions to competitive voice and data communications carriers, announced today the introduction of the Wide Bank(TM)28/STS-1, featured in this week's Networld + Interop in Las Vegas, Booth no. 2338.

In only one rack unit of space (1.75"), the Wide Bank 28/STS-1 access multiplexer provides high-speed STS-1 electrical connectivity directly to SONET Add/Drop Multiplexers (ADMs) and switches to deploy T1 services. The Wide Bank 28/STS-1 reduces the overall cost of deploying T1 services at carrier switch, co-location, and on-net building locations. Full management and monitoring is provided down to the VT1.5 tributary based DSX-1 service level, enabling carriers to leverage the cost and management advantages of STS-1 interconnections. High-speed electronic, control and power conversion redundancy is provided, in addition to STS-1 path protection.

"We are excited about the Wide Bank 28/STS-1 because our switch is configured with mostly STS-1s rather than T1s," said Lennen Madere, vice president and general manager of Louisiana-based Axessa. "There are about 500 STS-1s worth of capacity on the switch right now. Most of our customers require T1 service, but without the STS interface, we have been forced to pay for more T1 ports on our switch. We could have bought an expensive DCS, which could cost as much as $250K to bring STS-1s to the switch, but the Wide Bank 28/STS-1 solves this problem beautifully. The low price points, small size, low power consumption and ease of management will benefit us dramatically."

Michael Griess, vice president of engineering for Birch Telecom said, "Incorporating STS-1 in the Wide Bank product will reduce the number of network elements and continue to drive down our network infrastructure costs."

The Wide Bank 28/STS-1 eliminates stranded bandwidth capacity within the SONET shelf, while greatly decreasing the cost per T1 connection provided to customers. Up to 784 T1 service connections can be equipped in a 7-foot rack by using Wide Bank 28/STS-1 units with CAC's vertical mounting option. High-capacity SONET ADMs become even more cost- and space-effective.

"Competitive carriers are now deploying high-capacity OC-48 or OC-192 SONET ADMs in metropolitan and backbone networks," said Kirkton Shoop, senior product manager at CAC. "It is not cost-effective to fill these new high-capacity ADMs with low-speed T1 cards. This strands capacity within an OC-48 or OC-192 SONET shelf, which is designed for high-capacity feeds. If a standard DS3 multiplexer is used to bridge low-speed T1 access to SONET services, the carrier is forced into the expense of additional DS3 to SONET transmultiplexing."

The Wide Bank 28/STS-1 is an addition to the Wide Bank 28 product family. CAC's widely deployed Wide Bank 28/NEBS DS3 access multiplexer has several thousand units in service, with deployment-proven features for T1 to DS3 service consolidation, including NEBS certification and integrated SNMP and TL-1 management. The Wide Bank 28/STS-1 builds on this success with the same customer-approved features, in addition to the new SONET STS-1 features. In fact, the only change necessary to upgrade Wide Bank 28 DS3 multiplexers to the Wide Bank 28/STS-1 SONET product is to change the Controller Cards. This smooth and uniform platform progression demonstrates CAC's spirit of preserving customers' equipment investments as they migrate their networks.

About Carrier Access Corporation

Carrier Access Corporation is a leading provider of Multi-service Digital Access (MDA) equipment to competitive telecommunications carriers, including competitive local exchange carriers, Internet service providers, and wireless carriers. Carrier Access Corporation products are used in the digital last mile for the provisioning of enhanced voice and high-speed data services by carriers to businesses and government end users. Carrier Access Corporation's Access Bank, Access Navigator and Wide Bank family products are connected to T1, HDSL, digital radio and T3 access transmission technologies. Additional information about CAC and its products can be found at www.carrieraccess.com.

About Birch Telecom

A competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), Birch Telecom has grown to become one of the largest competitors to Southwestern Bell in the Midwest. Formed in 1997 in Kansas City, Mo., the 480-employee integrated telecommunications provider offers a range of services including local and long-distance phone service, telephone equipment, and Internet services such as access, hosting and development.

About Axessa

Based in Louisiana, Axessa is a full-service communications company solving any customers' needs via facilities competition.