Com21 Awarded ISO 9001 Certification; ISO 9001 and IQNet Certification Awarded to Pioneering Cable Modem Vendor.

MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 1999--Com21 (Nasdaq:CMTO), a leading global supplier of cable modem technology, today announced that it has been granted full ISO 9001 "Registered Firm" status, an internationally recognized endorsement of quality management and assurance.

Com21 has also received IQNet certification, a quality management certificate recognized by the International Certification Network, comprised of certification organizations from more than 20 countries around the world.

The National Standards Authority of Ireland, an independent, third-party registrar established in 1961, awarded ISO 9001 Registration to Com21 on Dec. 1, 1998.

NSAI's global reputation ensures acceptance of its certificates and marks of conformity in all major markets. Com21 achieved ISO 9001 certification from NSAI on the basis of its scope of operation, which states that "Com21 designs, manufactures and sells 'Best in Class' high speed broadband communications solutions."

ISO 9001 certification provides assurance to Com21's global customer base that the processes involved in the design and development, manufacture, service and support of Com21 products adhere to the ISO 9001 quality management standard, the most stringent and comprehensive of the ISO 9000 quality management standards.

IQNet is an International Certification Network whose membership include certification bodies from Spain, France, Belgium, Portugal, UK, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, Japan, The Netherlands, Korea, Hungary, Norway, Ireland, Austria, Poland, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Finland, Israel, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland. IQNet certification is applicable in all member countries.

"ENECO Cable Television & Telecom has been a customer of Com21 since 1997, and we have always been impressed by their product performance, service and operations," said Rob ten Pas, manager Media & Internet, ENECO.

"As a certified company ourselves, the internationally recognized quality certifications that Com21 has just received, gives us further confidence that we are doing business with a reliable, quality-driven vendor with best-in-class products."

"ISO 9001 certification is critical if you are going to be the best in your business category and succeed worldwide," said Peter Fenner, CEO and president of Com21. "Com21 has been committed to quality from the very start and has established reliable engineering processes and a total quality management process throughout our organization long before achieving these certifications.

"Now that we're there, we are going to continue to improve our business processes and the quality of our products to the benefit of our customers as we continue to grow our worldwide market share."

In addition to these certifications, in November, 1998, Com21 announced that it is now Europe's leading provider of cable modem technology, according to a recent report by the telecom and cable analyst group, Ryan Hankin Kent, Inc. (RHK).

Earlier this month, Dataquest released its "Cable Modem Market Share and Forecast" report stating that Com21 ranked third in worldwide cable modem shipments for the first half of 1998, up from the number five position for all of 1997.

About Com21

Com21 is a leading global provider of cable modem technology for delivering high-speed Internet access over CATV systems. The company enables cable operators and service providers with the abilities to provide high-speed, cost-effective Internet access to corporate telecommuters, small businesses, home offices and residential users.

Founded in 1992 and completing its initial public offering in May 1998, its stock is publicly traded on Nasdaq under the symbol CMTO. Com21 is headquartered in Milpitas, and maintains international sales and support locations in the Canada, Japan, The Netherlands, and South America. For more information, visit the Com21 web site at www.com21.com.

Note to Editors: Com21, Inc., and ComUNITY Access(R) System are registered trademarks of Com21, Inc., Milpitas, CA, USA. All other trademarks or brands are the property of their respective companies.

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the safe harbors created by those sections. These forward-looking statements include statements related to: Com21, Inc.'s ability to continue quality processes related to ISO and IQNet certifications, the retention of key personnel and other risks associated with the course of doing business and providing quality products. Accordingly, actual performance may differ due to a number of risks. The matters discussed in this press release may also involve risks and uncertainties described in Com21's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In particular, see the risk factors described in Com21's Final Prospectus for the company's initial public offering dated May 21, 1998 and the company's most recent 10Q dated Nov. 3, 1998. Com21 assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.