Primacom Chooses Cisco for Cable Solutions in Move to EuroDOCSIS Open Standard.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 2000

Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced that PrimaCom AG, Germany's third-largest private cable TV provider, has selected Cisco to provide the equipment which will enable it to adopt a Euro Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (EuroDOCSIS)-based open standard for transmission. The move will make PrimaCom the first German cable company to use the EuroDOCSIS standard, giving it the ability to deliver multiple services to a wide range of customer premises equipment 

The agreement covers a range of cutting-edge cable router technologies, including Cisco uBR7246VXR Universal Broadband Routers and Cisco MC-16E cable modem cards. PrimaCom has also ordered 50,000 integrated, EuroDOCIS-compliant cable modem set-top boxes from Galaxis as part of a drive to increase its current coverage of 930,000-plus customers, predominantly in Leipzig, to include a further 200,000 to 225,000 households in Magdeburg, Chemnitz, Halle, Wiesbaden and Mainz by the end of 2000.

"It is of key importance that Germany gets an open standard," said Jacques Hackenberg, CEO of PrimaCom. "And Cisco was the natural choice for the delivery of this technology. They are the unchallenged leader in the US DOCSIS market, and they are now establishing a similar position in the Euro-DOCSIS market."

"EuroDOCSIS gives us a level of flexibility unparalleled in Germany," Hans Wolfert, CCDO of PrimaCom added. "Quite simply, no other company could provide the equipment and experience needed for us to achieve our strategic business objectives. Cisco provides us with a combination of superior RF performance and data networking capability that is unmatched in the industry."

The Cisco uBR7200 series Universal Broadband Router allows high-speed data services to be packaged in the same way as cable TV service or video fare. Cisco's uBR7200 series equipment supports data and digitised voice connectivity between Internet Protocol (IP) hosts and connected subscribers using a bi-directional cable TV and IP backbone.

For international cable plants that use 8 MHz wide channels, Cisco uBR7200 series equipment supports bi-directional transfer of traffic between the CMTS and EuroDOCSIS-based cable modems or set top box units with integrated EuroDOCSIS modems.

This means cable companies and Internet service providers can allocate radio frequency (RF) channel capacity for Internet access, Virtual Private Network or Voice over IP services using a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) or all-coax cable plant. Cisco currently provides three router-based DOCSIS CMTS solutions that offer a wider feature set and better manageability than bridge-based systems. The Cisco uBR7246VXR supports higher density and broad media configurations. The chassis contains up to two single-width IP backbone interfaces, up to four cable TV RF interfaces, up to two power supplies, an optional clock interface that enables the router to synchronise to an external timing reference, a faster processor and higher bus bandwidth.

The MC-16E cable modem card builds on the DOCSIS protocol, adding support at the physical layer for the 8 MHz downstream channel, and greater upstream frequency selection - 5 to 65 MHz, instead of 5 to 42 MHz.

Gonzalo J. Chain, Business Development Manager, Cisco, said: "This investment in router equipment paves the way for a host of expansion opportunities and puts PrimaCom at the cutting edge of networking technology. We look forward to working with the company as it embarks on what promises to be an unprecedented phase of growth and success."

About PrimaCom

PrimaCom AG (Neuer Markt/ securities ID no. 625910 and NASDAQ ticker "PCAG") is Germany's third-largest private cable network operator, serving more than 1.35 million households and with presently more than 930,000 customers. PrimaCom offers multimedia services to its customers via its own broadband cable network, which operates with the latest glass fibre technology (HFC). In addition to the existing high-speed Internet service via the company's own portal, PrimaCom will soon be offering digital TV with 80 channels and interactive services, such as pay-per-view etc. The service will initially be available in Leipzig, followed by six further German cities. This autumn, PrimaCom plans to launch Internet telephony (voice over IP) at especially attractive conditions.

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