Multilink Announces First Intelligent Edge Product, the VCat-10 Mapper-Framer with Virtual Concatenation.

Business & Technology Editors

SOMERSET, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2002

Multilink Technology Corporation (Nasdaq: MLTC), a leading provider of advanced semiconductor-based solutions that accelerate the deployment of high-speed optical networks, today announced the VCat-10 (MTC6210), the first product from its Intelligent Edge(TM) product portfolio.

VCat-10 is a 10 Gb/s Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SONET/SDH) mapper-framer.

The VCat-10 is the only 10 Gb/s device to offer Virtual Concatenation (VCat), which "right-sizes" the SONET/SDH channels and allows more efficient data transport. Additionally, the VCat-10 supports Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) and builds VCat groups with a granularity of STS-1/VC-3 or 3c/VC-4, and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS). LCAS increases the flexibility of the virtual concatenation by allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the VCat groups. This creates the ability to provide value-added system features such as graceful degradation and/or time-of-day services. The VCat-10 is targeted towards next-generation SONET/SDH equipment and next-generation router/multi-service switch (MSS) platforms incorporating the flexibility of datacom with the resiliency of SONET/SDH.

"The reality of the metro market is that more than 85 percent of the infrastructure today is based on SONET/SDH, and the owners of that equipment want to leverage their investments," said Dr. Richard N. Nottenburg, Multilink's Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman. "The VCat-10 is the first device introduced from the Intelligent Edge(TM) product line and will allow Multilink to offer additional devices that will help carriers show a greater return on existing equipment, reduce their costs and realize improved data services."

As the demand for bandwidth increases, the need to clear the bottleneck in the metro area network (MAN) is obvious. SONET/SDH gear makes up most of the MAN infrastructure today, and carriers want and need to leverage both telecom- and datacom-based equipment by increasing the efficiency of the SONET/SDH infrastructure. SONET/SDH was originally developed for carrying time-division multiplexed (TDM) traffic, and although data transport over SONET/SDH is possible today, these methods do not support efficient networks without expensive additional equipment. In order for service providers to offer advanced data services while keeping their investment costs low, they need instead to adapt their existing infrastructure.

The VCat-10 offers industry-standard Layer 2 processing capabilities, including: GFP, Packet over SONET (PoS) and Link Access Procedure for SDH (LAPS), which is important for the transport of Gigabit Ethernet over next-generation SONET/SDH gear such as multi-service provisioning platforms (MSPP) and edge grooming switches. The device also includes Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) processing, which allows multi-service switches to more effectively and flexibly route ATM traffic over legacy SONET/SDH infrastructure.

VCat-10 hosts OIF-compliant interfaces for the transfer of traffic into and out of the device. The industry-standard SPI-4 phase 2 interface transfers data to/from an external Layer 2 or 3 device. The industry-standard SFI-4 and optional channelized SONET/SDH mode allow for 1 X OC-192/STM-64, 4 X OC-48/STM-16 or 16 X OC-12/STM-4.

MTC6210 Availability:

The VCat-10 (MTC6210) will be available Q4, 2002.

Intelligent Edge(TM) Product Portfolio:

Intelligent Edge(TM) unites the flexibility of datacom with the resiliency of SONET/SDH. Service providers are looking for advanced solutions that provide immediate return on investment and create new and much needed data services. SONET/SDH equipment will have more datacom capabilities including Layer 2 and Layer 3 intelligence and data-oriented client oversubscription while the datacom equipment will find ways to better utilize the existing SONET/SDH rings.

About Multilink:

Multilink Technology Corporation designs, develops and markets advanced-mixed-signal integrated circuits, modules, VLSI products and higher-level assemblies designed to enable the next generation of high-speed optical networking systems. By providing our customers with sophisticated products developed by utilizing systems level expertise and a high level of component integration, we facilitate our customers' ability to meet their time-to-market requirements. Our products span the markets from Metro to Ultra Long Haul optical transport equipment with a focus on the fastest commercially available speeds of 10 Gb/s and higher. Multilink is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey with additional offices located throughout North America and Europe.

Safe Harbor Statement:

This release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, and reflect management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by us based upon information available to us at this time. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will" and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date hereof. Such information is subject to change, and we will not necessarily inform you of such changes. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

Our recent annual report on Form 10-K, our Registration Statement on Form S-1 and our other SEC filings discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Multilink Technology Corporation undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Intelligent Edge(TM) is a trademark of Multilink Technology Corporation