Spirent Communications Solution Enables MEID Handset Testing; First Commercially Available Platform for Automated CDMA2000 MEID Evaluation.

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Spirent Communications (NYSE:SPM)(LSE:SPT), a global leader in wireless mobile device performance testing, announced that its AirAccess(R) C2K Network Emulator now includes the ability to perform accurate and repeatable Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) testing for CDMA2000 1X handsets.

The successful deployment of Pre-release D MEID technology is arguably the single most urgent issue facing the CDMA2000 community today. Devised in response to the rapid depletion of Electronic Serial Numbers (ESNs), the MEID initiative has a significant impact on network operators, handset manufacturers and mobile subscribers alike.

Spirent's AirAccess C2K Network Emulator now includes functionality required to automatically test this vital new aspect of handsets. The implementation of MEID is not only critical and urgent, but requires simultaneous changes to multiple layers of the protocol stack. Traditionally, mobile phones have used ESNs as a way to uniquely identify each and every mobile device manufactured for use on a CDMA network. While there are theoretically 4.2 billion ESNs available, ESN assignment issues have nearly exhausted the available pool of ID numbers, and some experts believe that heavy demand for CDMA2000 mobiles could cause this point to be reached as early as the first quarter of 2006. With 56 bits, compared with the 32 bits of ESNs, MEID provides for more than 16 million times as many unique numbers, helping to ensure the industry will not run out of unique numbers in the future.

"Avoiding problems with the implementation of MEID technology is critical to the continued success of CDMA2000," stated Mike Keeley, CDMA Market Segment Manager for Spirent Communications. "The enhancements we have added to AirAccess enable our customers to thoroughly evaluate the impact of MEID on handset performance, ensuring that this major change will be transparent to handset users."

Spirent's AirAccess family of wireless network emulators provides powerful, easy-to-use air interface performance analysis solutions for CDMA terminals. Spirent Communications' AirAccess CDMA Network Emulator has the power and flexibility to perform rapid analysis of CDMA terminal performance as well as being scalable to complete TIA-98 (Stage 1), TIA-898 (Stage 2) or TIA-916 Location-Based Services test systems. AirAccess is a highly configurable, real-time CDMA network with a dynamic state machine engine. Unlike program-driven protocol conformance test systems, AirAccess can run user-defined test scenarios without any requirement for complex programming or scripting, and with response times representative of a real network.

Spirent's wireless test solutions aid in all phases of mobile device and wireless network development and deployment for the world's manufacturers and mobile network operators. Spirent's extensive experience in wireless protocols has led to it being considered the "one-stop shop" for CDMA handset performance and certification testing. Spirent has leveraged its success in mobile performance and certification testing to bring comprehensive performance analysis to the W-CDMA market. The company's wireless core infrastructure GPRS and CDMA performance test systems help service providers identify performance ceilings, enable vendor selections and plan network capacity prior to deployment, to facilitate smooth service delivery.

Spirent has helped accelerate wireless service delivery by introducing the first and only solutions to test CDMA, W-CDMA and GSM location-capable mobile devices. These systems play a critical role in assisting the validation of emergency services such as the U.S. FCC E911, and in facilitating the roll-out of commercial location-based services.

About Spirent Communications

Spirent Communications (www.spirentcom.com) is a global provider of integrated performance analysis and service assurance systems that enable the development and deployment of next-generation networking technology such as Internet Telephony, broadband services, 3G wireless, global navigation satellite systems and network security equipment. Spirent's solutions are used by more than 1,500 customers in 30 countries, including the world's largest equipment manufacturers, service providers, enterprises and governments. Based in Rockville, Spirent Communications reported 2004 revenue of $460 million and has 1,700 employees worldwide. The company is the largest business group of Spirent plc (www.spirent.com), traded on the London and New York Stock Exchanges (LSE:SPT)(NYSE:SPM) (CUSIP number: 84856M209). Spirent Communications' sales to the United States government are made through Spirent Federal Systems (www.spirentfederal.com).

Spirent, Spirent Communications and the Spirent logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Spirent plc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned herein are held by their respective companies. All rights reserved.

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