Kabel NRW Selects ECHO and BroadTel Communications for New Network Operations Communications Center.

Business Editors

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2001

ECHO Broadband (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. and BroadTel Communications today announced that they have been awarded a contract to build a new Network Operations Communication Center (NOCC) for Kabel NRW, Germany's largest private cable operator.

In partnership, they will provide the design and the implementation services for this project.

The new NOCC facility is part of a major upgrade of Kabel NRW's existing cable TV infrastructure to implement a next generation network for voice, video, and data. Scheduled for completion by 2003, this upgraded network will offer high speed Internet access, video on-demand and IP (Internet Protocol) telephony services to as many as 4.2 million customers in one of Germany's most prosperous regions.

"Building an integrated national communication network takes the support of key suppliers," said Bill Fleming, Network Upgrade Director of KNRW and its parent company Callahan Associates International. "ECHO and BroadTel Communications have experience in building state of the art NOCCs, making them a natural choice to complement other key suppliers already working on building this high performance next generation network."

"We are most excited by yet another opportunity to assist KNRW with the modernization of their network," said Jim Slattery, President & CEO of ECHO. "Our ability to combine knowledge transfer from our current network planning and design role with our understanding of KNRW's commitment to quality operations is sure to deliver an efficient, customer-focused NOCC facility."

"Kabel NRW's decision highlight our capability of delivering network design and implementation services for new Integrated Communication Service Providers," said Ricardo Diaz, BroadTel's President and CEO. "Our company has built significant engineering expertise to assist operators to cost effectively manage IP based infrastructure networks providing differentiated voice, video, and data services."

ECHO is a global team providing broadband technology solutions to fixed and wireless service providers. ECHO has aggressively grown to a team of over 130 dedicated professionals successfully delivering large broadband network upgrade projects in Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit our website at: www.echobroadband.com.

BroadTel is a privately held California company providing next generation broadband solutions with marketing and network service offices in Cupertino and wireless products in Montreal, Canada. The company provides products and services to new Integrated Communications Service Providers and existing CLECs providing advanced voice, data and video IP based services. For more information please visit our website at: www.broadtel.com.