Conexant Cable Set-Top Box Semiconductor Solutions Support Sony Passage Technology.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

RED BANK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2004

Flexible Architecture Offers MSOs and Set-top

Box Vendors a Variety of Technology Options

Conexant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNXT), the worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications, enterprise networks and the digital home, today announced support of Sony's Passage(TM) Technology in its cable set-top box (STB) semiconductor solutions. Passage Technology, developed by Sony, is a flexible, innovative cable television platform that provides for interoperability among multiple conditional access systems and equipment from multiple vendors, allowing these products to co-exist on legacy digital cable television networks. Conexant's CX24430 chipset solution, which includes support for Passage Technology, will be on display at the Sony Passage Pavilion during the National Cable Telecommunications Association (NCTA) show in New Orleans from May 3-5, 2004.

"Conexant's support for Passage Technology stems from a long-standing collaboration with Sony on various cable programs, and our continuing commitment to providing our customers with semiconductor solutions that support industry specifications," said Jeff Crosby, vice president of Set-top Box Products for Conexant. "This innovative technology will allow cable operators to further leverage their investments in existing cable networks, expand service options and increase revenues."

"Conexant has been a key supplier and leading developer of set-top box silicon solutions for many years," said Mike Paxton, cable industry analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "The company's support for Sony's Passage Technology underlines their commitment toward both innovative set-top box products and the cable TV industry."

Conexant's highly integrated CX24430 interactive cable TV decoder chipset recently passed a series of complex compatibility tests to ensure support for Passage Technology. The programmable demultiplexor architecture used in Conexant's cable STB chipsets allowed the Passage algorithms to be implemented through microcode firmware without any hardware changes. This microcode will enable current and future Conexant cable STB semiconductor solutions, including the CX24150 digital broadcast TV decoder chipset family, to support Passage Technology.

Conexant's CX24430 family of interactive cable TV decoder ICs combines a high-speed DOCSIS cable modem and interactive TV MPEG decoder onto a single chip. This solution allows STB manufacturers to offer advanced, fully interactive cable STBs at prices slightly higher than broadcast-only STBs. In addition, the CX24430 family includes a dual CPU architecture with over 490 total Dhrystone MIPS to independently support cable modem and system applications functions. Other technologies supported by CX24430 include DOCSIS set-top gateway (DSG), OpenCable Applications Platform (OCAP), and MPEG-4 expandability through a coprocessor.

Conexant offers a comprehensive suite of digital STB components and system solutions for worldwide satellite, terrestrial and cable entertainment broadcasting networks. The company's product portfolio includes silicon tuners, satellite communications channel demodulators, MPEG audio and video decoders and dial-up modems for back-channel applications. Complete reference designs that help manufacturers reduce cost and speed time-to-market are also available, bundled with a range of operating systems, middleware, driver and development tools.

About Conexant

Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications, enterprise networks and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks.

Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11a/b/g-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug(R) and HomePNA(TM). The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines.

Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company with annual run-rate revenues of $1.2 billion. The company has approximately 2,400 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Red Bank, N.J. To learn more, please visit us at www.conexant.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements relating to our future results (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets addressed by the company's and its customers' products; demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development of new products; the timing of new product introductions; the availability of manufacturing capacity; pricing pressures and other competitive factors; changes in product mix; product obsolescence; the ability to develop and implement new technologies and to obtain protection for the related intellectual property; the uncertainties of litigation; and the risk that the businesses of Conexant and GlobespanVirata will not be integrated successfully, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Note to Editors: Conexant is a registered trademark of Conexant Systems, Inc. Other brands and names contained in this release are the property of their respective owners.