Comstar Upgrades Ethernet Network to Deliver Russia's First Virtual Private LAN Services; Services to Run over Riverstone Solution.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MOSCOW--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2004

Riverstone Networks (Pink Sheets:RSTN) today announced that Russian service provider Comstar is upgrading and extending its Metro Ethernet network to offer Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) to businesses in the Moscow area. Using Riverstone's MPLS-based Metro Ethernet solutions, the new service will allow businesses to connect multiple sites securely over Comstar's New Generation Network (NGN) as if they were connected to a private Ethernet network.

"VPLS has significant advantages for everyone compared to traditional services," said Tatiana Kostrova, Deputy General Director of Comstar. "Our customers benefit because they can connect all of their sites in the Moscow region to an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (VPN) that provides all their employees with a secure, high speed and homogenous network. We benefit as an operator because the Riverstone VPLS solution allows us to gain additional revenues by offering a new Ethernet service with more flexible bandwidth capabilities and more sophisticated service level agreements (SLAs). The VPLS solution is also more simple and inexpensive to operate and maintain than a traditional solution."

In 2003, Comstar deployed Riverstone's RS 8600, RS 8000 and RS 3000 metro Ethernet routers to build NGN, a packet-switched transport network designed to provide next-generation data and voice services. NGN is engineered around Riverstone's MPLS technology and is Russia's first truly multi-protocol MPLS network supporting both Layer 2 Ethernet VPNs with VPLS and Layer 3 IP VPNs. NGN provides Quality of Service (QoS) for latency-sensitive traffic such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) using MPLS traffic engineering and ensures a high level of service reliability and availability using MPLS failure protection and fast reroute.

Riverstone's RS metro routers deliver Comstar with Ethernet services across its metro, from access (RS 3000) to the core (RS 8000 and 8600). Fully supporting VPLS, the RS family of products allows Comstar to cost-effectively deliver a full range of services from VoIP to Multipoint VPNs over a single transport infrastructure, complete with customized QoS.

VPLS uses MPLS to provide premium services that a carrier can offer businesses to connect geographically remote facilities, emulating Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks. In the past, these types of services were most commonly delivered using TDM, Frame Relay and ATM networks that are more costly and complex to manage than today's Ethernet and MPLS networks. VPLS combines the cost effectiveness and high bandwidth of Ethernet with the scalability and resiliency of MPLS, allowing Service Providers to simultaneously meet both their business needs and the needs of their customers. For more information about VPLS, visit www.vpls.org. Those in Eastern Europe are also encouraged to take advantage of the Lightspeed Ethernet Service Roadshow visiting Prague, Budapest, Warsaw and Moscow, April 19-26 (www.lightspeedeurope.com).

Riverstone Networks, Inc. (RSTN.PK) is a leading provider of carrier-class solutions for next generation metro Ethernet networks. Riverstone's metro routers and provisioning solutions deliver the ease of use, cost effectiveness, and flexibility that carriers require in meeting their customers' networking requirements in support of voice, video, and data services. Riverstone uniquely permits carriers to offer homogeneous services across existing revenue-generating networks and new Ethernet deployments.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including without limitation statements as to Comstar's plans to upgrade its network and the ability of Comstar and other service providers to generate revenue using Riverstone product are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include changes in planned network upgrades and changes in economic conditions that could affect the ability of service providers to generate revenue, as well as the risks detailed from time to time in Riverstone Networks' SEC reports, including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended November 30, 2002 and subsequent reports on Forms 8-K and 8-K/A. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements.

Riverstone Networks is a registered trademark of Riverstone Networks, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names belong to their respective owners.