Consumer High-Speed Internet Access Advances With ITU Endorsement of G.Lite ADSL Standard.

GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 1998--

International Standards Effort Concluded in Less than a Year with

Significant Contributions from UAWG Consortium of Leading PC,

Telecom and Networking Vendors

The Universal ADSL Working Group (UAWG) today applauded an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) vote that officially sanctioned the G.Lite ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) standard. The G.Lite standard is expected to accelerate the international rollout of high-speed Internet access to consumers over existing phone lines.

Meeting in Geneva, the ITU voted to "determine" the standard for G.Lite. The determination vote is seen by manufacturers and service providers as crucial because it reflects the technical stability of the standard and provides the specifications that manufacturers and service providers need in order to bring compatible products to market. In the case of the V.90 modem standard, for example, the ITU determined the standard on Feb. 6, 1998, and within weeks manufacturers were shipping V.90-compliant products well in advance of the final ratification on Sept. 16. Final ratification of the G.Lite standard is anticipated at an ITU meeting in June of 1999.

The UAWG, formed in January 1998 by leading PC, networking and telecommunications companies, played a significant role in the rapid development of the G.Lite standard, according to John Cahill, UAWG co-chair and executive director-BellSouth advanced networking. "All UAWG members are to be congratulated for the truly remarkable effort that enabled us to earn ITU support for our Universal ADSL contributions in such a short time. The ITU decision today represents a milestone for telecommunications service providers, network equipment providers and the PC industry. Acceptance of the UAWG proposals will help accelerate the availability of affordable high-speed access services to telephone users worldwide. At the same time, the ITU vote will clear the way for early G.Lite ADSL trials by service providers, working with equipment providers, to develop the appropriate procedures and services for network and customer equipment."

The UAWG's goal was to develop a simplified version of ADSL, known as Universal ADSL, that will deliver to consumers high-speed modem communications over existing phone lines based on an open, interoperable standard. By reducing the complexity of the on-site installation and the need for new wiring at the user's home, G.Lite ADSL will make it possible to more cost-effectively increase bandwidth for the consumer up to 30 times the speed of the current highest-speed analog modem technology. With the ability to deliver "always-on" Internet access at higher speeds, G.Lite ADSL dramatically improves the consumer's online experience.

"The ITU action will be the impetus for rapid development of G.Lite ADSL products and services," said Kevin Kahn, co-chair of the UAWG and director of Communications Architecture for Intel Corporation. "The UAWG represents a tremendous effort among the telecommunications, networking equipment providers, and computer industries to get behind an effort that should quickly bring high-speed Internet access to the broad consumer market."

G.Lite ADSL is based on the same underlying technology as standards-based higher speed (full-rate) ADSL deployments by telecommunications companies. This facilitates the development of equipment that can support both G.Lite and full-rate ADSL to provide backward compatibility.

Technology based on the G.Lite ADSL standard is already being packaged into products and service trials that are under way. For example, Compaq Computer announced that it was bringing faster Internet speeds to the home by equipping its PCs with the hardware necessary to make DSL installations seamless. In Gainesville, Florida, BellSouth has teamed with Alcatel to deliver products and services to up to 100 university students and staff to begin testing pre-G.Lite ADSL. In Coral Gables, Florida, BellSouth and Lucent Technologies have announced a six-month trial of both full-rate ADSL and G.Lite ADSL service on the University of Miami campus beginning in December.

Over the next few months the UAWG will continue its interoperability testing and its work with the ITU to remove any barriers to the successful adoption of the standard.

About the Universal ADSL Working Group

The Universal ADSL Working Group (UAWG), composed of leading PC industry, networking, and telecommunications companies, developed a set of contributions building on the present ANSI T1.413 standard intended to create quick deployment and adoption of G.Lite ADSL. The UAWG's work complements recently announced full-rate ADSL products and services. In addition the group aims to accelerate both full-rate and G.Lite ADSL deployments. The group foresees G.Lite ADSL modems being a preferred PC modem technology by the year 2000.

The UAWG was developed to spur widespread adoption and availability of high-speed digital Internet access for the mass market. Leading Universal ADSL Working Group (UAWG) companies include Intel, Compaq, Microsoft, Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, British Telecommunications, Deutsche Telecom, France Telecom, GTE, MCI, NTT, SBC Communications, Singapore Tel, Sprint, and US WEST. To obtain a complete listing of UAWG member companies and more information on the Universal ADSL Working Group visit the group's Web site at http://www.uawg.org.