Occam Launches ADSL2+ Blades

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Occam Networks Inc. (OTCBB: OCCM - News), a supplier of innovative IP over Ethernet-based loop carrier equipment to telecommunications companies worldwide, today announced the availability of two new blades, the BLC 6212 and the BLC 6252, for the BLC 6000 Broadband Loop Carrier System. The BLC 6212 is a 48-port ADSL2Plus blade for delivering data and video services via the latest ADSL technology. The BLC 6252 is a 48-port ADSL2Plus and Lifeline POTS blade featuring ADSL2Plus and POTS on each port for optimal delivery of Triple Play services: voice, data and video. Both blades are currently in customer trials and will begin shipping in September 2004.

The new blades use ADSL2Plus technology to deliver the bandwidth needed for high-speed data and video services. ADSL2Plus delivers significant performance and interoperability improvements such as higher data rates, greater reach, advanced management, expanded diagnostics, enhanced power management and real-time rate adaptation. These new capabilities make it easier for service providers to offer subscribers advanced higher-bandwidth services such as multiple video channels and greater Internet connection rates.

"We are excited that Occam is offering the latest DSL technology since we strongly believe that ADSL2Plus will be the new base standard for DSL services, especially for an IOC that wants to deliver true Triple Play services," said David Tilley, broadband engineer for CC Communications. "Adding the advantages of ADSL2Plus to the advantages that the BLC 6000's Gigabit Ethernet capability provides -- greater bandwidth, greater network simplicity and greater cost savings -- makes the BLC 6000 System a great solution for delivering our advanced Triple Play services."

The BLC 6212 can be deployed as part of a full BLC 6000 loop carrier network or as a standalone unit to create a data and video overlay to an existing voice network. It can also be deployed as a remote IP DSLAM in a multi-dwelling building. The BLC 6252 blade provides ADSL2Plus and Lifeline POTS from each port, making it an ideal solution for service providers to deliver Triple Play services from a single, scalable network. The blade's ADSL/POTS ports include an internal soft splitter that eliminates the need for additional external hardware. The POTS traffic from all ports is converted to Voice over IP (VoIP). The voice, data and video traffic are differentiated and transported over the feeder network following the provisioned Quality of Service (QoS) parameters. Voice traffic can be handed directly to a Next Generation softswitch or to a BLC 6000 Central Office Terminal (COT) to provide standard TR-08/GR-303 connections to a traditional Class 5 switch.

The IP DSLAM capability of the blades provide a conversion between the ATM protocol on the standard ADSL lines and the BLC 6000 native IP over Ethernet network. The BLC 6000 system strips away the complexity of ATM at the DSLAM port thereby eliminating the need for an ATM switch or other expensive ATM infrastructure and creates a seamless access network connection to IP routers, Ethernet switches and IP digital headends in the switch centers and core network. This creates a simpler, lower cost IP infrastructure from the DSLAM to the Internet or from a video headend. Since the blades support standard ADSL2Plus to the residence, customers can use standard modems and other customer premise equipment (CPE).

The Gigabit Ethernet capacity of both the BLC 6212 and 6252 blades provides the very high bandwidth required for advanced Triple Play service delivery. Each BLC blade includes 10 integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports. Up to six of these can be Gigabit Ethernet optical fiber ports to provide the access network with enough bandwidth to support hundreds of broadcast channels and to sustain the expected growth of Video on Demand (VoD). A single port can be used to support initial requirements, and additional Gigabit Ethernet ports can be brought online as VoD service demands grow.

"One of the most important initiatives in the telecommunications industry is to extend the life of traditional copper infrastructure. Occam's ADSL2Plus technology improves SureWest's bandwidth capabilities, will seamlessly integrate into our IP Triple Play network and will help to enhance our customers' experience," said Bill DeMuth, vice president and chief technology officer for SureWest.

The IP-based architecture of the BLC 6212 and 6252 provides streamlined network operation with digital video headend products. The BLC 6000 System transmits video streams as Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) encoded signals in IP packets. Its native IP delivery network reduces the complexity of ATM transport and eliminates the huge overhead of transporting large video IP packets that have been split into ATM cells. Additionally, the native IP delivery network includes edge aggregation eliminating the virtual circuit provisioning of the ATM model to create a simpler, more manageable and cost-effective access network.

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is included in the BLC 6212 and 6252 blade software to provide multicast capability at every node in the network. IGMP allows a subscriber request for a broadcast channel to join the stream at the point closest to the subscriber in the network, shortening channel change times and preserving feeder bandwidth for VoD and data services. Integral IGPM capability further simplifies the network and eliminates the need to deploy separate IP processing units or routers.

"We designed the BLC 6000 System with the goal of providing our customers with maximum flexibility as they upgrade their existing access networks to deliver new revenue-generating services," said Russ Sharer, vice president of sales and marketing for Occam. "Maintaining our leadership role in bringing an IP Service Delivery Model to the access network depends on our ability to offer our customers the latest technologies such as ADSL2Plus. With these new technologies they can build the simple, robust and cost-effective access networks they need to translate new services into profits."

Occam Networks Inc.