FREMONT, Calif. -- Ikanos Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKAN) , a leading developer of Fiber Fast(TM) broadband solutions, today announced that it has named Carlton Aihara as Managing Director of Ikanos' Japanese operations. Aihara is a veteran of the semiconductor industry, and brings over 20 years of diverse international sales and management experience to Ikanos.

Prior to joining Ikanos, Aihara was president of Agere Systems Japan Ltd., where he was responsible for an extensive line of wireless and wireline access products. Before joining Agere, Aihara held the position of managing director at Conexant Systems, where he led the integration of assets acquired from PCTEL into Conexant. Prior to his tenure at Conexant, Aihara was vice president of global sales at PCTEL, where he established and grew sales offices in Japan and Korea. Aihara holds a BSEE from the University of California, Berkeley, and will report to Derek Obata, vice president of worldwide sales.

"I am pleased to welcome Carlton to Ikanos, because we believe his addition will strengthen our position in the vibrant Japanese broadband market," said Rajesh Vashist, president and CEO of Ikanos Communications. "Carriers in Japan have deployed some of the world's most advanced broadband networks, and have been early adopters of high-speed VDSL access and advanced triple-play services. We anticipate that the Japanese market will remain on the leading edge of broadband innovation, and are excited that Carlton has joined Ikanos to lead our sales efforts in this key market segment."

Ikanos also announced that Anoop Khurana, vice president of ASIC engineering, has decided to leave the company to pursue personal interests. His responsibilities will be covered by Dr. Rouben Toumani, vice-president of systems engineering, and Joshua Rom, vice-president of operations, until a replacement is named.

"I am grateful to Anoop for his significant contributions to Ikanos, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors," said Vashist. "During his time at Ikanos, Anoop led multiple chip developments, established strong design methodologies, and assembled a highly talented integrated circuit development team."

Ikanos Communications Inc.