Monday May 18, 4:40 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Copper Mountain Spearheads SDSL Interoperability Initiative With DSL Market Leaders
Company Pioneers Interoperability Initiative to Promote Growth of DSL Market
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1998--Copper Mountain Networks today announced a multi-company SDSL Interoperability Initiative aimed at building a wider selection of customer premise equipment (CPE) that interoperates with Copper Mountain's CopperEdge(TM) 200 Central Office Equipment. The goals of the SDSL Interoperability Initiative are to provide effective end-to-end solutions for customers, accelerate DSL service roll out, drive down costs, and improve end-user price/performance.
Under the terms of the Initiative, Copper Mountain will facilitate third-party testing of SDSL CPE with its carrier-class Central-Office platform, the CopperEdge 200 DSL access concentrator, at a speed of 768 kbps and at a distance of 12,000 feet over a single pair of copper wire using RFC 1490 Frame Relay.
Copper Mountain and the CPE vendors are taking a very pragmatic approach towards the interoperability of multiple third party SDSL CPE. With the initial phase, Copper Mountain will help providers of SDSL CPE to interoperate at the standard SDSL speed and distance of 768 Kbps at 12,000 feet on a single pair of wires. The next phase of interoperability will enable broader integration to include multiple speeds and distances.
Currently Copper Mountain Networks is the only SDSL vendor in the industry delivering various line rates - 128 kbps to 1.024 Mbps and the longest reach of 22,770 feet using SDSL technology. To date, a half dozen CPE vendors have signed up for the Interoperability testing. Approved CPE vendors may use Copper Mountain's internal test facility, free of charge, for one full day (eight hours).
The Initiative is backed by Data CLEC NorthPoint Communications, Inc. (www.northpointcom.com); chip manufacturer Rockwell Semiconductor Systems (www.rss.rockwell.com); and several SDSL CPE vendors, including ADC Kentrox (www.kentrox.com), Cayman Systems (www.cayman.com), Escalate Networks (www.escalate.net), Fastcomm Communications Corporation (www.fastcomm.com), Flowpoint Corporation (www.flowpoint.com), FreeGate Corporation (www.freegate.com), Netopia, Inc. (www.netopia.com), Ramp Networks (www.rampnet.com) and Whistle Communications Corporation (www.whistle.com). (NOTE TO DSL CPE VENDORS: For more information on the SDSL Initiative, please contact Richard Sekar at Copper Mountain Networks by phone at 650-858-8500 extension 234 or by email at rsekar@coppermountain.com).
Backing of the Interoperability Initiative by Rockwell and NorthPoint Communications clearly demonstrates the broader industry's demand for, and commitment to, greater SDSL interoperability. As equipment interoperability grows, business at both ends of the spectrum can only benefit. Chip manufacturers will have the ability to ensure interoperability and service providers will be able to offer their end-user customers a wide variety of CPE equipment. Everyone wins, including the end user.
''To date, there has been extensive focus on ADSL, leaving a major gap in any interoperability testing targeting the SDSL marketplace,'' commented Richard Sekar, leader of the program and director of product marketing at Copper Mountain. ''By recognizing the need for end-to-end SDSL interoperability and by spearheading this Initiative, Copper Mountain demonstrates its commitment to growing the DSL market.''
''DSL interoperability testing is necessary for continued market development and expansion,'' said Greg Howard, director, service provider programs, Infonetics Research (San Jose, Calif.). ''With this initiative, Copper Mountain demonstrates its market leadership in the SDSL arena. Testing end-to-end CPE and CO solutions under Copper Mountain's Initiative will widen compatibility among key players in the SDSL industry, providing end users with a broader selection of CPE choices and fueling market growth.''
SDSL Interoperability Testing Criteria
To qualify for testing, CPE vendors must meet minimal criteria to ensure reliability and to optimize interoperability, including SDSL CPE capable of operating at 768 kbps symmetrically on a single pair of wire for up to 12,000 feet. The CPE products will be tested from an architectural and functional level; common networking and web browsing applications will also be tested.
The SDSL Interoperability Initiative is another step in Copper Mountain's continued effort to grow the DSL market through vendor cooperation. Most recently, Copper Mountain announced interoperability with RedBack Networks' Subscriber Management System(TM) (SMS) 1000 (see press release entitled ''Copper Mountain announces interoperability with RedBack Networks' SMS 1000,'' dated May 4, 1998). Furthermore, Copper Mountain is a founding member of the Universal ADSL Working Group, a multi-vendor consortium devoted to creating and promoting DSL standards.
About Copper Mountain Networks
Founded in January 1996 with offices in San Diego and Palo Alto, Calif., Copper Mountain Networks, Inc. develops and markets a comprehensive family of DSL solutions that enable high-speed internetworking over existing copper facilities. The company's mission is to enable carriers and other service providers to offer a range of high-performance, cost-effective DSL services that are easy to deploy, use, and manage. Copper Mountain's CopperRocket(TM) family addresses the bandwidth, reliability, ease-of-use, and cost concerns of remote offices and users. Its carrier-class CopperEdge(TM) and CopperView(TM) solutions offer a robust and scalable platform for carriers to satisfy the ever-increasing user demand for bandwidth, while generating a high return on investment.
Customers wanting more information about Copper Mountain products can contact the company at (650) 858-8500 or visit its World Wide Web site at coppermountain.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Copper Mountain and all Copper Mountain product names are trademarks of Copper Mountain Networks, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
Copper Mountain SDSL Interoperability Initiative Supporters
''Demonstrated interoperability benefits service providers and end users by easing the CPE selection process and increasing competition. Carriers benefit through wider technology acceptance and therefore wider deployment opportunities. Wider deployment means more opportunity for CPE sales. Everyone wins.'' - Heidi Clark, President, Cayman Systems.
''We view SDSL as being an appropriate transmission for the business market. Copper Mountain's SDSL Interoperability Initiative further validates the business case. Our SDSL CPE will now benefit from end-to-end interoperability, thus broadening the market and providing our customers with a total solution.'' - Rick German, Worldwide Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Escalate Networks.
''We see Copper Mountain's SDSL Interoperability Initiative as a validation of our network architecture demonstration from two years ago. The Initiative enables us to envision a total solution for our customers, from the CPE at the end user site to the DSLAM at the Central Office. The CopperEdge fits today's needs and promises to deliver on customer demand for at least the next decade.'' - William Flannagan, Vice President of Technology, FastComm Communications Corporation [Nasdaq:FSCX - news].
''By supporting an interface to which we can all develop, we can collectively accelerate the deployment of DSL in the global market. This interoperability will benefit all manufacturers of central office and remote access equipment as well as end users.'' -Chuck Waggoner, President, FlowPoint Corporation.
''A low cost, interoperable SDSL solution greatly complements FreeGate's all-in-one Internet solution, which integrates in a single system all the elements for secure, reliable, Internet access, including an IP router, Web server email, file transfer, and firewall. By combining FreeGate's Internet solution with Copper Mountain's SDSL product, small businesses can take full advantage of the Internet and virtual private networks.'' - Joy Pinsky, Vice President of Marketing, FreeGate Corporation.
''We are pleased to support Copper Mountain's SDSL Interoperability Initiative. Through our continuing partnership and joint product development with Copper Mountain, we are ensuring interoperability between Netopia's CPE equipment and Copper Mountain's DSLAM devices, thereby growing the SDSL market and lowering the costs for end users.'' - Michael Trupiano, Vice President and General Manager of Internet Connectivity Solutions, Netopia, Inc.
''As a wholesale CLEC providing business quality data to small- to medium-sized businesses, NorthPoint has a strong commitment to delivering optimal networking services. We fully embrace efforts to bring end-to-end DSL networking solutions to their full interoperability potential. Copper Mountain's pioneering initiative allows us to address customer needs effectively and efficiently without costly CPE swapouts or upgrades. In the end, everyone wins: our customers, network service providers, and end users.'' - Mike Borsetti, Director, Product Management for NorthPoint Communications, Inc.
''In order for DSL technologies to address the small business market, vendors and service providers must work together to achieve the simplicity and ease of use that our market requires. Giving end users the confidence that the access devices at their site will work with their provider's central office must happen for DSL to penetrate small business. Copper Mountain's effort in this area is the first to publicly address interoperability.'' - Mahesh Veerina, Chief Executive Officer, Ramp Networks.
''We applaud Copper Mountain's initiative. Interoperability between several OEMs that use Rockwell's ZipWire technology will allow service providers to mix and match equipment. This, in turn, will be a positive catalyst for the entire symmetric DSL industry.'' - Ron Cates, Director, DSL products, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems.
''The combination of the Whistle InterJet all-in-one Internet solution and Copper Mountain Network's DSL products will help to broaden the DSL market, making it a truly viable alternative to standard leased line connection options. Interoperability between Copper Mountain's telco-based equipment and office equipment such as the Whistle InterJet is a key element to delivering solutions that meet the needs of today's businesses. Such whole product solutions provide an optimal combination of speed and rich depth of services, at a considerably more affordable monthly service cost.'' - Gordon Ritter, Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing, Whistle Communications Corporation.
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