Some ADSL news from Westell:
Wednesday January 20, 8:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Westell Technologies, Inc.
Alcatel and Westell Sign an Agreement for ADSL Product Development
AURORA, Ill. and RICHARDSON, Texas, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel Microelectronics (NYSE: ALA - news) and Westell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WSTL - news) announced today that they have signed an agreement under which Alcatel will supply their DynaMiTe(TM) Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) Discrete Multi-tone (DMT) chipset and firmware for use in a new line of Westell's digital subscriber line (DSL) rate adaptive customer premise equipment. Westell's DSL digital modems are currently being deployed in homes and offices around the world, allowing consumers to access the Internet at very high speeds.
ADSL digital modems are connected to the consumers' personal computer(s) and their existing copper telephone line, to allow simultaneous voice, fax and data always-on connectivity (no dial up) to the Internet in both home and business environments. Westell expects to integrate the Alcatel chip into its DSL equipment and ship the new line of fully interoperable modems, in the summer of 1999.
Brian Henrichs, Westell's Vice President of Broadband Systems, stated, ''Westell is pleased to form a partnership with Alcatel to integrate the two-chip DynaMiTe chipset into our DMT modems. As a result, we will soon be able to make available to our customers another platform of Central Office-interoperable customer premise equipment that integrates the power of PPP functionality with the performance and integration of the Alcatel DMT.''
Westell's Alcatel-enabled customer premise equipment will be offered to Local Exchange Carriers and Internet Service Providers as complete, easy-to-install home or business digital modem systems, with software downloadable protocol support and full ATM UNI capabilities. ''The DynaMiTe MTK-20140 is the most integrated, powerful and established ADSL technology on the market,'' commented Robert Bury, xDSL Product Manager at Alcatel Microelectronics. The agreement involves Alcatel's issue 2 ANSI standards- compliant, fourth generation, two-chip ADSL chipset MTK-20140. The DynaMiTe chipset includes the analog front-end (AFE) chip (MTC-20144) and a digital chip (MTC-20146) integrating all the DMT and ATM functions and the embedded controller.
This totally self-contained ADSL solution is fully ANSI Issue 2 compliant and features direct ATM support (UTOPIA interface), full software configuration and control, robust broadband connectivity and software extensions to G.Lite and G.DMT, including ISDN support.
The new DynaMiTe modem kit combines the digital functions of the DMT modem and ATM functionality into a single digital chip. A second chip incorporates the analog front end. The two-chip MTK-20140 is totally compatible with its three-chip predecessor, the MTK-20131, providing for interoperability, yet reduces board area and power consumption. Alcatel and Westell are recognized leaders in ADSL interoperability through their active contribution to standards and specific interoperability programs with other vendors.
Alcatel Microelectronics, the Semiconductor Company of Alcatel, develops, manufactures and sells both standard and custom application specific semiconductor components for communications applications around the world. Served markets include broadband and narrowband communication for public and private network infrastructure, cellular wireless networks, power lines and automotive and industrial systems. Visit Alcatel Microelectronics at: alcatel.com
Westell Technologies, Inc. is a holding company for Westell, Inc. and Conference Plus, Inc. Westell, Inc. is a global manufacturer and integrator of ADSL and HDSL systems and telecommunications access products, with corporate headquarters in Aurora, Ill. Conference Plus, Inc. is a multi-point telecommunications service bureau specializing in audio teleconferencing, multi-point video conferencing, broadcast fax, and multimedia teleconference services. Additional information can be obtained by visiting Westell's Web site at westell.com.
''Safe Harbor'' statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
Certain statements contained herein including, without limitation, Telco deployment of DSL systems and increases in DSL system sales and interoperability of DSL products, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks include, but are not limited to, product demand and market acceptance risks (including the future commercial acceptance of Westell's ADSL systems by telephone companies and other customers), the impact of competitive products and technologies (such as cable modems and fiber optic cable), competitive pricing pressures, product development, excess and obsolete inventory due to new product development, commercialization and technological delays or difficulties (including delays or difficulties in developing, producing, testing and selling new products and technologies, such as ADSL systems), the effect of Westell's accounting policies, the effect of economic conditions and trade, legal, social, and economic risks (such as import, licensing and trade restrictions) and other risks more fully described in Westell's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1998 under the section ''Risk Factors.'' Westell undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
SOURCE: Westell Technologies, Inc.
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