Cisco Delivers Expanded IP Backbone Scalability to Sprint with Combined Cisco 12000 and 10700 Series Internet Router Solution.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2002

Enhances Sprint's Ability to Meet Customers' Needs

for High-Speed IP Connectivity

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO) today announced that it will provide Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS) with a metro router solution to help extend the reach of the company's 10Gbps IP backbone in Europe. Sprint will use the Cisco 10700 series Internet Router in tandem with the 12000 Internet Router to deliver IP transit via fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet services to ISPs and carriers at collocation facilities in major markets throughout Europe.

"Cisco's metro router solution preserves the existing investment in our IP backbone and complements our efforts at achieving capillarity in key UK and European markets," explained Dan Dooley regional president -- Europe, Sprint. "The technology is easy to deploy and enables us to continue to expand our customer base."

European market demand for Ethernet and IP edge services is growing dramatically. However, these customers are also demanding the highest levels of quality and reliability in their high-bandwidth connections. SprintLink, Sprint's IP network, consistently meets stringent service levels while delivering unsurpassed network scalability and service availability. Service providers like Sprint are looking to extend existing infrastructure to offer a full range of services-on-demand; Cisco's comprehensive set of solutions for Metro Ethernet services meets the diverse customer requirements of companies like Sprint.

The Sprint network employs a unique architecture that combines the carrier-class IP service capabilities of the Cisco 12000 Internet Router and extends them with the first purpose-built metro edge access router, the Cisco 10720 Internet Router. This innovative solution enables the delivery of Gigabit Ethernet connectivity over Dynamic Packet Transport/Resilient Packet Ring (DPT/RPR) technology. With Cisco DPT/RPR technology, the network can operate over dark fiber, WDM or SONET/SDH infrastructure.

"Cisco continues to drive industry innovation through architectures, technologies and standards development by offering a combination of comprehensive IP, Ethernet and Optical technologies," said Tony Bates, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Internet POP Systems Business Unit. "Cisco's industry-leading DPT/RPR solution is creating new opportunities for Sprint. Cisco's simple, scalable, and reliable solution is enabling Sprint to provide unparalleled quality in a diverse set of metro services while simultaneously delivering new operational and capital efficiencies."

Sprint is one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic, giving its customers fast, dependable, non-stop access to the world's Internet content. Its European operations are focused on providing its customers -- from large corporate and multi-national companies to carriers and ISPs -- with high-speed Internet access and a broad portfolio of voice, data and connectivity services that provides reach into most countries around the world. These services include global IP VPNs, security solutions, managed services and multi-casting. The European headquarters are located in London.

To learn more on how Cisco customers deliver innovative metro IP solutions to market, visit: www.cisco.com/go/metroip.

Also announced today, Telstra: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/index.shtml More Cisco Metro News: B2: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/prod_040902.html Dubai Internet City: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/prod_040902b.html Fastweb: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/prod_040902c.html Acantho: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/prod_031402b.html BT Ignite: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/prod_041902.html

About Cisco DPT/RPR Solutions

To meet the demands of metropolitan networks, Cisco has developed Metro IP solutions, based on the company's market-leading resilient packet ring (RPR) technology, Dynamic Packet Transport (DPT). Cisco Metro IP solutions bring the power of the Internet to the metro, enabling simple, scalable, and highly reliable networks for the delivery of IP and Ethernet services. Metro networks can now be built using the three principal components: the Cisco 12000 Series Internet router, DPT/RPR, and the Cisco 10720 Internet Router. Deployed in environments as diverse as Internet service provider (ISP) points of presence (POPs), regional metro networks, and metro access networks, DPT-based networks are delivering dramatic advantages to service providers today. Connecting millions of broadband subscribers worldwide, Cisco has shipped over 15,000 DPT ports to more than 200 customers worldwide.

About Sprint

Sprint is a global communications company serving more than 26 million business and residential customers in over 70 countries. With approximately 80,000 employees worldwide and more than $26 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state of the art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network. Sprint's award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone is being extended to key global markets to provide customers with a broad portfolio of scalable IP products. Sprint's high-capacity, high-speed network gives customers fast, dependable, nonstop access to the vast majority of the world's Internet content. Sprint also operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas, including more than 4,000 cities and communities.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at www.cisco.com.

Note to Editors: Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.