To: P2V who wrote (626 ) 12/2/1997 2:26:00 PM From: Maverick Respond to of 1629
HiNet Selects Ascend MAX TNT WAN Access Switch for Major Network Expansion Taiwan's Primary Telecommunications Carrier, Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd. to Deploy Over 35,000 MAX TNT Ports for Expansion of HiNet Internet Service ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 24, 1997-- Ascend Communications, Inc., (NASDAQ:ASND - news) today announced that the company has been awarded a major contract to deploy MAX TNT WAN access switches by HiNet Internet service, Taiwan's largest Internet Service Provider. HiNet is a unit of Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd, Taiwan's primary telecommunications carrier. HiNet will purchase over 35,000 MAX TNT WAN access ports, making this one of the largest dial-up service deployments in the Greater China Region. The network expansion program further solidifies HiNet's position as the preeminent provider of Internet services in Taiwan, with Points of Presence (POPs) throughout the entire island. The MAX TNT WAN access network will provide HiNet with K56Flex analog and ISDN access capabilities, as well as Fast Ethernet into the POP, further increasing the capacity and reliability of HiNet's Internet infrastructure. Ascend is partnering with Rockwell Semiconductor Systems, the world's largest supplier of modem chips, and Phitech Corporation, a leading network integrator in Taiwan, to provide HiNet with the most advanced access solutions available today. Taiwan's current Internet subscriber base is approximately one million and, according to the objective of the National Information Infrastructure project, will increase to three million subscribers by the year 2000. With data traffic growing much faster than voice traffic, service providers will have to keep pace with both the capacity demands and the requirements for higher levels of quality, reliability and management. ''With the MAX TNT deployment, HiNet will be in a position to accommodate an exponential growth of Internet subscribers with the dial-up versatility, reliability and security required,'' said Derek Hu, President of Phitech. ''The Ascend MAX family has proven that Ascend is a partner that will keep us on the leading edge.'' ''Our relationship with HiNet adds another major ISP to Ascend's growing list of partners in the Asia Pacific region. Ascend has been working with HiNet for two years and we have a strong commitment to making their network and services successful,'' said Tony Wise, Ascend's director for Asia Pacific. ''We look forward to further innovative cooperation with HiNet as the new public network is built.'' According to Kevin Poon, Ascend's general manager of Greater China, ''Although several networking companies participated in the bid, I believe Ascend had the most thorough understanding of HiNet's requirements. In addition, we demonstrated to HiNet the efficiency, responsiveness and seamless teamwork between us and our partners that service providers require, which is the result of Ascend's experience working with the largest service providers in the world.''