RiverDelta Networks First to Deliver 100% Redundancy for Carrier-Class Broadband Networking.

Business/Technology Editors

SCTE Cable-Tech

Booth No. 1059

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2001

-- Industry's Only CMTS/Edge Router To Support Non-Stop Operations and
Enable the Deployment of Critical Services Over Cable Networks --

-- Half the Price and Twice the Capacity of Traditional Product Offerings --

RiverDelta Networks, Inc., the leading provider of carrier-class broadband routing, switching, and service management solutions, today announced the industry's most comprehensive system redundancy for a carrier-class router and Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS). Complete redundancy of every element of the Broadband Services Router 64000 (BSR 64000(tm)) makes this the industry's only CMTS and edge router system that offers 99.999 percent reliability and non-stop operations for operators, their subscribers, and revenue-sharing partners.

Cable operators can build the bulletproof reliability found in the public telephone network into their access networks by deploying RiverDelta Networks CMTS/routers at the network edge -- at half the price and twice the capacity of other product offerings. The carrier-class BSR 64000 provides the fault detection and switchover required for high-availability and critical services, including lifeline voice, over cable networks. Unlike other systems that require manual intervention, all the system elements of the BSR 64000's integrated CMTS/router platform automatically cutover to the redundant elements in milliseconds. This rapid switch to redundant system elements means that any failure is virtually transparent to the subscriber.

With 99.999 percent availability from RiverDelta Networks, operators can now move from being providers of video entertainment and best effort data services to full-service carriers offering:

--Primary line voice services

--911 lifeline telephony services

--Voice and data business services including Virtual Private Networks

--Application hosting services

--Multi-tiered data services

--Video-on-demand.

"The two critical requirements for a full service network are carrier-class reliability and Quality of Service," said Dave Callan, President and CEO of RiverDelta Networks. "RiverDelta Networks is delivering both the system reliability that can scale and grow as operators build out their networks and the support for DOCSIS 1.1 along with our intelligent SmartFlow QoS technology that enables the delivery of real-time services from multiple providers over the hybrid fiber coax network. By implementing carrier-class BSRs at the edge of the network, operators can efficiently manage bandwidth, develop partnerships with revenue-sharing partners, and scale services as they become increasingly popular."

100% REDUNDANCY

The BSR 64000's carrier-class platform has been designed from the ground-up to take broadband carriers to the next levels of service reliability. The 16 slot, NEBS-compliant chassis has a midplane architecture that enhances serviceability and lowers the Mean-Time To Repair (MTTR) by de-coupling functional hardware modules from the physical I/O and connectivity. An integrated RF switch connects the input and output of each DOCSIS Module to the RF plant to allow 1:N redundancy. The DOCSIS Modules support automatic RF line switchover with a single spare serving as a backup to all other DOCSIS Modules in the chassis.

The Supervisory Routing Modules (SRM), which run all the routing protocols and control applications, connect to the other modules via redundant control buses to insure non-stop flow of control and routing information. SONET Network Interface Modules can be configured in a 1:1 Automatic Protection Switching (APS) mode and the Ethernet interfaces can be configured for a 1:1 fast switchover via high-speed hardware assist rather than the typical software switchover that incurs much longer delays. Additional redundant elements include power, fans, and a 64 Gbps switch-fabric, which provides non-blocking data packet transport between the modules in a cross-connect manner.

The 1:1 redundancy of the Network Interface Modules and the 1:N redundancy of the DOCSIS Modules provide a fail-safe alternative to traditional 1:1 or external backup redundancy schemes at half the price and twice the capacity. The integrated architecture of the BSR 64000 also provides operators with a system that is easy to manage.

The carrier-class BSR 64000 supports all of the traditional Central Office operational requirements-such as hitless software upgrades, live insertion, version roll-back, integration into the alarming scheme, and full NEBS compliance. Extensive fault detection and reporting features let operators optimize system performance and deliver primary-line IP telephony reliability.

Innovative CARRIER-CLASS System Architecture

The BSR 64000 sets new performance benchmarks through its innovative use of a next-generation system architecture that combines centralized routing/switching modules with distributed high-performance packet filtering/forwarding/flow management modules. Unlike traditional software based IP switch/routers, the BSR 64000 can process packets at line rate with little-to-no performance degradation. This architecture--which scales to OC-192 speeds and beyond--enables carriers to tailor the BSR 64000 to meet their current needs and to incrementally add capacity as service demands increase.

About RiverDelta Networks

RiverDelta Networks, based in Tewksbury, MA, designs, develops, and markets solutions for broadband service providers building carrier-class networks for delivering voice, data, and video services for consumers and businesses. RiverDelta Networks received CableLabs(R) DOCSIS 1.0 qualification in record time and has built upon and extended the DOCSIS 1.1 Quality of Service specifications with its SmartFlow(TM) per-flow processing. RiverDelta Networks has received $46 million in funding from Pequot Capital Management, Battery Ventures, and Charles River Ventures. Additional company information can be found at www.riverdelta.com.

Note: RiverDelta, Broadband Services Router, and SmartFlow are trademarks of RiverDelta Networks. DOCSIS is a registered trademark of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.