Ethernet in the First Mile Alliance to Showcase Solutions of Ethernet Services at SUPERCOMM 2004.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUPERCOMM 2004

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2004

With the IEEE 802.3ah standard expected to be approved in July of

2004, EFMA showcases newly standardized EFM technologies speeding the

deployment of Ethernet services.

The Ethernet in the First Mile Alliance (EFMA), the leading organization dedicated to standardizing and promoting Ethernet in the First Mile technologies, announced today it will be holding an extensive product demonstration, emphasizing solutions that comply with the emerging 802.3ah standard, at SUPERCOMM 2004, booth #20338. Eight of the 12 EFMA member companies will participate in the demonstrations, including Actelis Networks, Agilent Technologies, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Extreme Networks, Hatteras Networks, Infineon and Passave Networks.

"In July of 2004, the IEEE is expected to approve the recommended 802.3ah standard," said Craig Easley, president of the EFMA. "Many of our members are industry leaders and visionaries who have been driving the standardization process. Within the EFMA booth at SUPERCOMM 2004, our members will be showcasing new Ethernet products that comply with the emerging 802.3ah standard and the latest advancements in Ethernet in the First Mile technologies. Once the new standard is approved, we are expecting service providers to rapidly deploy these new products to meet the increasing demand for Ethernet services from their customers."

The focus of the SuperDemo will be on technology innovation and interoperability. The demand for Ethernet in the First Mile services from end-users continues to increase at a rapid pace. As a response, many technology breakthroughs that help service providers meet this demand have been announced over the last few years. The technology innovation product demonstration will showcase those breakthrough technologies.

The EFMA will be showcasing technologies from the four EFM sub-task areas, including:

-- Point-to-point and point-to-multipoint copper

-- Point-to-point fiber

-- Point-to-multipoint fiber

-- Operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM)

The goal of EFM is to complement the Ethernet family with new elements for use in the public access network. The point-to-point and point-to-multipoint copper demonstration will include the short reach 10BASE-TS (Ethernet based VDSL) as well as the long reach 2PASS-TL (Ethernet based G.SHDSL), on either a single or multiple pairs. The point-to-multipoint fiber technology demonstration will feature 1000BASE-PX (Ethernet PON), while the point-to-point optical demo will include both 100BASELX/BX10 and 1000BASE-LX10 (Ethernet Point-to-Point). These technologies will be shown in a variety of real-world deployment scenarios that are commercially available today.

EFM provides a compelling value proposition for universal broadband access because of its proven ability to deliver data services, video and voice applications, and the simplicity and ubiquity of Ethernet.

"Over the course of the last year, the demand for Ethernet services from both businesses and residential subscribers has grown at an extremely rapid rate," said Michael Howard of Infonetics Research. "Broadband subscribers have been asking for Ethernet, and many service providers have been examining ways to deliver the service. We've seen multiple RFI's and RFP's from large carriers for EFM equipment with more to follow. Thus far there have been millions of EFM compliant ports deployed and the new EFM port types, like EPON, just starting to ramp. With the 802.3ah standard expected to be approved in July of 2004, this is likely to be the year that Ethernet services become generally available to a broad range of business and residential."

About the IEEE 802.3ah Standards Effort

Since November 2000, more than 200 individuals from over 80 companies have participated in an IEEE study group, which formally became the IEEE 802.3ah EFM Task Force in September 2001. The IEEE 802.3ah EFM Task Force is chartered with developing the IEEE EFM standard and is part of the IEEE 802.3 Working Group, which is responsible for the development of all Ethernet standards. For additional information on the IEEE 802.3ah EFM Task Force, see http://www.ieee802.org/3/efm/index.html.

About the Ethernet in the First Mile Alliance (EFMA)

Created to promote the use of Ethernet in the First Mile subscriber access networks and support the IEEE 802.3ah standard process, the EFMA is made up of the leading network infrastructure and service providers: Actelis Networks, Agilent Technologies, Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERICY), Extreme Networks (NASDAQ: EXTR), Harbour Networks, Hatteras Networks, Infineon Technologies (NYSE: IFX), Iometrix, NTT Group (NYSE: NTT), Passave Networks and the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab. For additional information about the Ethernet in the First Mile Alliance or membership, visit its web site at http://www.efmalliance.org.