ST Claims DSL Chip Leadership

GENEVA -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) today announced it has shipped a total of 76 million DSL ports to the worldwide market since 1998, a 35 percent share of the total xDSL market*. In addition, the company shipped 25.1 million ports in 2003, which signifies a large number of the total market shipments that year. This number highlights the growing demand for ST's xDSL portfolio and its continuing influence on the market.

ST, along with the acquisitions of Alcatel Microelectronics and Tioga Technologies, pioneered the broadband market when it began shipping one of the industry's first ADSL products in 1998 to a list of customers that shaped today's ADSL market. Since 1998, ST's 76 million ports have included 43 million central office (CO) and 33 million customer premises (CPE) ports.

"This milestone of achievement can be credited to ST's key relationships with customers who've had the determination to make DSL the broadband technology of choice for millions of people," said Johan Danneels, president of ST's Telecommunications Business Group. "We pride ourselves on the fact that we can offer our customers solutions that respond to genuine market needs."

"ST has shipped a significant portion of ADSL chipset ports worldwide over the years, factoring in shipments from Alcatel Microelectronics," said Sam Lucero, Industry Analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "Their experience in deploying solutions on a large scale positions them as a market leader and strongly suggests that they will be successful in deploying future technologies, such as ADSL+ and VDSL."

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