To All,
Wednesday August 13 8:05 AM EDT
Company Press Release
Source: Orckit Communications Ltd.
Orckit and Harris Sign a Definitive Agreement and
Announce New VDSL Chipset Scheduled to be Released in
Q2 '98
MELBOURNE, Fla., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Harris Semiconductor (NYSE:HRS) and Orckit
Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq:ORCTF), have signed a definitive agreement for the development of a
new advanced VDSL chipset, HC6100.
The HC6100 is a high performance, low-priced chipset that will enable widespread deployment of
integrated VDSL modems in 1998. It is based on Orckit's DSL modem technology and Harris
Semiconductor's mixed signal and analog expertise. Chipset samples are expected to be available by Q2
1998. They will be priced to enable equipment vendors to offer their telecom operator customers VDSL
modems at $500 per line, in volume installations.
``We feel that there is a serious intention among telecom operators to deploy VDSL,'' said Izhak Tamir,
Orckit President. ``In May of 1996, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Harris and
together placed a team of forty engineers on the VDSL chipset development. The HC6100 is now in a
very advanced stage of development.''
The chip development process is strongly shaped by the companies' ongoing contact and accumulated
experience with telecom operators who have tested Orckit's VDSL prototype and are providing their
inputs into the final product.
``We expect the combined powers of Harris and Orckit to set a new level of high performance for
mass production VDSL chipsets,'' said Mick Denham, Vice President of Signal Processing Products for
Harris. ``It is becoming more evident that VDSL will be a core market segment for certain carriers.
Our high performance, low cost VDSL chipset should enable VDSL to meet the rapidly increasing
demand for broadband access to medium and small businesses, and residences. We already have
advance commitments from vendors who intend to use our chipset.''
VDSL, which stands for Very high bit rate Digital Subscriber Line, is a technology that allows data
transmission at speeds up to 52 Mbps downstream over a regular copper telephone wire, and supports
Full Service Network (FSN) applications such as high definition television, interactive multimedia,
Internet access and ATM to the Home.
Harris Corporation's Semiconductor sector manufactures discrete semiconductors and integrated
circuits, and focuses on the communications, multimedia and power control markets. The company has
sales offices worldwide and manufacturing facilities in Palm Bay, Florida; Mountaintop, Pennsylvania;
Findlay, Ohio; Dundalk, Ireland; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Harris Corporation, with worldwide sales of $3.8 billion, is an international communications and
electronics company that provides a wide range of products and services such as wireless and personal
communications, digital television (HDTV), health care information, multi-media communications,
automotive electronics, transportation, business information, defense communications and information,
and Lanier office products.
ORCKIT Communications develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of high-speed local loop
communications systems, including HDSL (High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line), ADSL (Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line), SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and VDSL (Very High Bit Rate
Digital Subscriber Line). Orckit is an active participant in many standards bodies concerning ADSL.
Dan Arazi, Executive VP Marketing and Sales, is on the Board of Directors of the ADSL Forum, and
Nigel Cole, VP New Business Development, is the Chair of the Technical Committees of the ADSL
Forum. Orckit is a strategic partner of Fujitsu Network Communications in North America. For more
information about Orckit or its xDSL technologies, interested parties can visit the company's web site at
orckit.com.
Certain matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of
risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, risks in product development plans and schedules,
rapid technological change, changes and delays in product approval and introduction, customer
acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, market acceptance, the
lengthy sales cycle, proprietary rights of the Company and its competitors, risk of operations in Israel,
government regulation, dependence on third parties to manufacture products, general economic
conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company's United States Securities and Exchange
Commission filings.
SOURCE: Orckit Communications Ltd. |
