World's First cdma2000 1X Network, Developed by 3Com Corporation and Samsung Electronics, is Deployed by SK Telecom in Korea.

Business Editors, Technology Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. & SEOUL, Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 10, 2000

Standards-Based 3G cdma2000 1XRTT Network Gives Mobile

Subscribers Access to Data Services at Speeds Up to 144kbps

The world's first cdma2000 1XRTT (1X) wireless data and voice network, developed by 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., is now in commercial service, the two companies announced today.

SK Telecom of Korea, among the world's leading wireless telecommunications operators, unveiled its third generation (3G) network on October 1.

The new 3G cdma2000 1X network from 3Com and Samsung allows SK Telecom customers to access mobile data services at speeds of up to 144 kbps -- dramatically faster than data transmission speeds common today. Other features of the cdma2000 1X network include support for simultaneous audio, video and text data services; advanced packet data technology for enhanced network efficiency; and a two-fold increase in wireless channel capacity.

In the initial service rollout, SK Telecom introduced its 3G cdma2000 1X network to subscribers in the Seoul and Inchon regions. By the end of the calendar year, the network is expected to extend to the Daejon and Chungcheong regions. Eventually, the 3G cdma2000 1X network will cover most of the South Korean peninsula.

SK Telecom has more than 12 million subscribers for its SPEED 011 cellular service, making it the seventh largest cellular phone service provider in the world. Its wireless data service, n.TOP, provides subscribers with network-driven information encompassing a wide-range of areas from a location data service, Internet shopping, travel and stock exchange information, to various reservation services for SPEED 011 subscribers at any time.

3Com/Samsung 3G Solution is Standards-based

The 3Com/Samsung 3G cdma2000 1X solution deployed by SK Telecom adheres to the IS-2000 series of standards developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). An open, standards-based architecture maximizes the options for wireless and cellular operators to expand and migrate their networks to take advantage of future capabilities. Equipment from 3Com and Samsung interoperates with other standards-based products, and is also versatile enough to be feature-customized, giving service providers maximum flexibility to design and develop their individual networks.

"Adhering to a standards-based solution for third-generation wireless networks allows service providers like SK Telecom to maintain their competitive status by leveraging existing infrastructure investments as their networks evolve," said Irfan Ali, senior vice president and general manager, 3Com Carrier Networks Business. "Our interoperable architecture allows network operators to evolve at a pace that matches their business needs and the demands of the market. Service providers can selectively deploy 3G technology in areas where there is sound business justification, and use existing networks to supplement 3G coverage for ubiquitous service."

In the new cdma2000 1X network, the base station controller (BSC) connects directly -- via the A10/A11 interface -- to a packet data serving node (PDSN). The PDSN performs the traffic aggregation function, similar to that handled by circuit switches today. The PDSN uses RADIUS authentication, accounting and administration (AAA) servers for user authentication and traffic management, then forwards traffic to a gateway router/home agent (GRHA) at the designated IP network.

Samsung is providing the radio access network equipment, including base transceiver systems and base station controllers. 3Com Carrier Networks Business is providing the data core network, including the PDSNs, Home Agent (HA), RADIUS authentication/billing servers and network management system. Equipment from the two companies inter-connects using fully standards-compliant interfaces, as defined by the IOS Version 4 interface, TIA/EIA/IS-2001, under the TIA's IS-2000 series of standards, and TIA/EIA/TSB115 (PN-4286) and TIA/EIA/IS-835 (PN-4732).

3Com Carrier Networks' Wireless Leadership

Wireless data solutions are an integral part of the CommWorks(R) architecture, 3Com Carrier Networks Business' versatile solution for multiservice packet-based networking. The CommWorks architecture allows service providers to deliver narrowband enhanced data services, IP telephony, wireless data, and broadband access over a single converged network. Standards-based and designed with open interfaces throughout, the CommWorks architecture meets the telecommunications industry's need for a coherent architecture that allows the deployment of multiple services in a single, unified networking environment. The CommWorks architecture streamlines the migration from today's analog networks to next-generation, packet-based converged networks.

3Com Carrier Networks Business is the world's leading manufacturer of CDMA 2G wireless data equipment, and its CDMA 2G interworking function (IWF) solution is currently compatible with major CDMA switches and is used by virtually every major CDMA cellular and PCS carriers worldwide. 3Com's wireless data equipment connects directly to wireless switches or radio access networks to provide the interworking and protocol conversions required to deliver both circuit-switched and packet-switched data capabilities to mobile data users. The wireless data technology is based on the award-winning Total Control(R) 1000 multiservice access platform and the CommWorks architecture from 3Com Carrier Networks Business. The Total Control 1000 platform gives service providers a powerful and highly reliable networking solution, including support for enhanced data access, carrier-grade IP telephony, IP fax, cable access, virtual private networking and other converged voice, video and data applications.

The Evolution of Wireless Networks

The cdma2000 1x network is the next phase in the evolution of cdmaOne(TM) digital cellular and PCS networks. Today, cdmaOne networks provide coverage in more than 40 countries and boast more than 65 million subscribers around the globe. (Source: CDMA Development Group, August 28, 2000). cdma2000 1X networks give wireless operators the flexibility to introduce advanced data services to meet emerging market demands, and to migrate their existing digital cellular networks to next-generation network infrastructures over time. Using an evolutionary approach to building a next-generation wireless network enables service providers to continue using existing infrastructure and recoup existing network investments while preparing for the future. At each new network phase, mobile network operators will be able to offer their subscribers substantial additional benefits, including higher network speeds (eventually, up to 2 Mbps), global interoperability among different operators' networks and mobile phones, and more sophisticated application services.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom is the largest CDMA cellular service provider in the world with more than 12 million subscribers as of May 2000, based on the accumulated expertise for over 16 years of its state-of-the-art technological know-how in the field of wireless communications. And recently SK telecom has acquired another Korean cellular service provider Shinsegi Telecom. It has diversified its business scope to IMT-2000, multimedia online service, International Call, Handset manufacturing, GMPCS, etc. SK Telecom is listed in the London and New York Stock Exchange Markets. For more information on SK Telecom, visit the World Wide Web at http://www.sktelecom.com.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., with 1999 sales revenues of US$22.8 billion, is a world leader in the electronics industry. The Korea-based concern has operations in about 50 countries with 54,000 employees worldwide. The company consists of three main business units: Digital Media, Semiconductors and Information & Communications Businesses. For more information, please visit our website, http://www.samsungelectronics.com.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com simplifies how people connect to information and services through easy-to-use, connectivity products and solutions for consumers and commercial organizations. The company also provides access infrastructures and IP services platforms for network service providers. For further information, visit www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, CommWorks and Total Control are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.