Ascend Communications and Rockwell Deliver Breakthrough Speeds in
Symmetrical Data Access
Now Network Service Providers Can Use Ascend's TNT and DSL Pipeline To Offer
High-Bandwidth Solutions Over Single Twisted Pair
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1998-- To meet the growing demand for multifunction network access
equipment that utilizes xDSL technologies, Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND - news), the leading provider of
wide area network (WAN) solutions for network service providers, today announced support for Rockwell Semiconductor
Systems' Single-Chip HDSL Transceiver to power Ascend's Single Pair Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL)
offerings. The joint solution allows network service providers to provide customers with 1.5 MB per second symmetrical
data access - a speed formerly reached only with asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) - for both data and voice.
This solution marks the first time a Rockwell HDSL chip has supported 1.5 MB per second speeds over a single twisted
pair.
Ascend Communications' SDSL offering includes both Central Office Equipment (COE) in the form of the TNT access
concentrator and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) in the form of the award-winning DSL Pipeline. This integrated
offering from Ascend works over a single pair of copper wires to transmit full duplex data and voice for high-bandwidth
applications.
''With Rockwell's network access solutions, we are developing SDSL to its highest potential,'' said Ashok Dhawan, General
Manager for high-speed access products, Ascend Communications. ''Leveraging advanced technology from a preeminent
semiconductor company like Rockwell empowers us to offer carriers, ISPs and other network service providers the most
advanced SDSL capabilities to support the high-bandwidth applications their enterprise customers want.''
Delivering speeds 25 times faster than the emerging v.90 modem, each port in the Ascend SDSL offering will transport up to
1.5 MB per second symmetrical data and voice access. Previously, Ascend's SDSL solutions supported up to 768 kilobits
per second (Kbps).
''Our HDSL chip set is very robust, delivers high performance and is an ideal technology to advance Ascend's SDSL
offerings,'' Raouf Halim, Vice President and General Manager of Rockwell's Network Access Division. ''We're pleased our
innovations have been recognized and deployed by this networking leader.''
Pricing and Availability
First customer shipments of this new SDSL solution are expected by June of 1998. The MAX access concentrator is
available for $8500 and the Pipeline is available for $1295.
Regards
Neil
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