Westell/Texas Instrument Alliance Enhanced by Formation
of Universal PC/Telco ADSL Consortium
PR Newswire - January 27, 1998 08:03
WSTL %CPR %TLS V%PRN P%PRN
Westell joins Compaq, Intel, Microsoft led pact to deliver unified,
interoperable standards compliant Consumer-ADSL systems to major Telco Service
Providers
AURORA, Ill., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Westell Technologies (Nasdaq: WSTL)
announced today its participation in a consortium led by Compaq, Intel,
Microsoft and major service providers Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, Bell Canada,
BellSouth, GTE, MCI, SBC Communications, Sprint and US West. Over the past
six months Westell has provided leadership and actively participated in the
Universal Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) Working Group. The
group's objective is to accelerate the adoption and availability of high-speed
digital Internet access for the mass residential and business markets.
Westell is working with the group to support the requirements of the consumer,
focusing on lowering cost and simplifying the installation. The net result
from the working group is expected to be the establishment of a universal ADSL
standard, resulting in a universal ADSL modem, projected to be the dominant PC
modem technology by the year 2000. The Working Group is composed of leading
PC industry, networking and telecommunications companies.
"Now, with the personal computer and telecommunications industries
formally working together toward standards-based interoperability, the work we
have been doing with Texas Instruments, geared towards provide the industry's
first commercially deployable splitterless ADSL system, should accelerate the
availability of these benefits to both telcos and consumers," stated Brian
Henrichs, Westell's Vice President of Broadband Systems. Texas Instruments is
also a very active participant and leader within the Universal ADSL Working
Group. One of the first products that will result from Westell's strategic
alliance with Texas Instruments, originally announced in November 1997, is a
splitterless G.lite DMT-based standards compliant ADSL system. Texas
Instruments will discuss details of this product at their Datacom Summit in
Sante Fe, New Mexico on January 27, 1998. Westell is also working with TI to
develop next generation DSL solutions, including platforms with higher speeds
and more consumer oriented digital modems, all leveraging TI's digital signal
processing (DSP)-based programmable chips.
"We believe that our alliance with Westell and the emergence and
anticipated cooperative effort of the Universal ADSL Working Group will
greatly accelerate market deployment of our ADSL products," said George
Barber, Vice President of TI's Semiconductor Group.
The leverage gained from a universal ADSL standard is expected to provide
Westell and TI with an early jump on the commercial deployment of a G.lite
standards compliant solution and should accelerate the ultimate mass
deployment of broadband multimedia services such as high speed Internet
access, work at home and real-time video communications. A universal ADSL
standard should also help drive installation cost down while giving consumers
"always on" Internet access, at more than 25 times more speed than they can
now get from their 56k modems.
The Universal ADSL Working Group will further develop the existing T1.413
(or DMT) standard to create quicker deployment and adoption of Universal ADSL.
The Group will deliver a series of technical papers to the International
Telecommunications Union G.lite subcommittee in early 1998, and it will issue
a developer's guide that will set a clear design target for technology vendors
worldwide.
Company Information: Westell Technologies is a holding company for
Westell Inc., Westell WorldWide Services and Conference Plus Inc. Westell
Inc. is a leading worldwide innovator and manufacturer of DSL systems and
telecommunications access products, with corporate headquarters in Aurora,
Illinois. Westell's systems and products are currently being used by many
customers in over 53 countries around the world, including Ameritech, Bell
Atlantic, Bell Canada, Bell South, BT, GTE, SBC Communications and US West and
leading Internet service providers. Westell has formed key strategic business
alliances with DSC Communications, Dovatron, Fujitsu, Lucent Technologies and
Texas Instruments. Westell WorldWide Services Inc. provides engineering,
installation and network management services to leading network providers.
Additional information can be obtained by visiting Westell's Web site at
www.westell.com. Conference Plus Inc., is a multi-point telecommunications
service bureau specializing in audio conferencing, multi-point video
conferencing, broadcast fax and multimedia teleconference services.
"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995:
The statements quoted in this release about product development and
availability are not historical facts and are forward looking statements.
Forward looking statements and other factors such as those listed on page 2 of
Westell's Form 10-Q's for the periods ended September 30, 1997 and June 30,
1997, involve risks and uncertainties including the risk factors described in
the Westell Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 1997. These risks include
but are not limited to, product demand and market acceptance risks, the impact
of competitive products and technologies, competitive pricing pressures,
product development, excess or obsolete inventory due to new product
development, commercialization and technological delays or difficulties, the
effect of economic conditions and trade, legal, social and economic risks.
SOURCE Westell Technologies
/NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on Westell Technologies, Inc. via
facsimile at no cost, simply dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter the ticker symbol
WSTL./
/CONTACT: Mark L. Meudt, Vice President of Corporate Communications,
Investor Relations, of Westell, 630-375-4125/
/Web site: westell.com
(WSTL) |
