Conexant Delivers World's First System-on-Chips for Fiber Optic Gateways

-- Conexant Systems, Inc., a worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, today delivered the world's first family of system-on-chips (SoCs) for gigabit and gigabit Ethernet passive optical network (GPON/GE-PON) residential gateway applications. The CX95202 "Xenon-IIIG" GPON and the CX95203 "Xenon-IIIE" GE-PON devices are targeted at optical network units (ONUs) that are used on the client-side of fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks. The high-performance devices have a processing capacity of more than 10 gigabits per second (Gb/s). PON technology provides operators with additional bandwidth capacity, enabling them to cost-effectively deliver triple-play voice, video, and data services over a fiber optic cable. PON is also used to provide a high-speed "last mile" connection from a central office (CO) to homes and businesses.

"Operators worldwide are planning to use PON technology for next-generation network upgrades to improve their ability to deliver bandwidth-intensive services such as video-on-demand and IPTV," said Akram Atallah, senior vice president and general manager of Conexant's Broadband Access business. "With the launch of our new 'world's first single-chip' PON residential gateway solutions, we now offer our customers a comprehensive portfolio of industry-leading solutions that deliver the performance required for both advanced DSL and next-generation fiber optic networks."

"Carriers are moving as quickly as they can to establish robust networks that have the speed and capacity required for triple-play service deployments," said Aileen Arcilla, senior research analyst for market research firm IDC. "PON is becoming a viable broadband access technology to be implemented in residential gateways, which are critical to driving mass subscriber growth."

The Xenon-III PON SoCs represent yet another milestone in the company's history of broadband access leadership and innovation. Conexant is the leading provider of broadband access semiconductor solutions, and has shipped more than 200 million DSL ports to customers worldwide. Additional achievements include deploying the first 12, 26, and 40 megabits per second (Mbps) ADSL chipsets, and delivering the industry's first VDSL2-compliant semiconductor solutions.

The high-performance Xenon-III product family provides manufacturers with a flexible solution that allows them to address multiple applications in a cost-effective and efficient manner. For example, the Xenon-IIIG and Xenon-IIIE are pin- and software-compatible, enabling product developers to address GPON and GE-PON deployments with the same hardware and software platform. The devices can also be used with Conexant's VDSL2 CO and customer premises equipment (CPE) devices to provide carriers with a cost-effective, end-to-end system solution for fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) applications.

To ensure interoperability, the Xenon-IIIG and Xenon-IIIE SoCs are based on ITU G.984 and IEEE 802.3ah PON industry specifications, respectively. Xenon-IIIE also complies with China Telecom's EPON specification. In addition, Conexant successfully conducted extensive tests with leading optical line terminal (OLT) end-product manufacturers to further ensure interoperability on both sides of the connection.

The Xenon-IIIG and Xenon-IIIE include several features that improve performance and lower system costs including:

• Full line rate performance at 2.4 Gb/s downstream and 1.25 Gb/s upstream with complete physical layer encryption, security, bridging and routing required to enable quality of service (QoS) in IP video applications.
• Integrated functionality for four concurrent voice-over-IP channels, three-way calling, and a T.38 fax demodulator to provide a highly integrated, cost-effective voice gateway solution.
• Enhanced routing capabilities combined with deep classification and filtering support to enable superior QoS, robust security and complete management of a customer premises device from the central office.
• Interfaces for key home networking technologies including Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), HomePNA(TM), HomePlug® A/V and gigabit Ethernet, to maximize design and application flexibility.

The Xenon-III product family comes bundled with an open source-based Linux board support package, Conexant's widely deployed Integrated-System-On-Silicon (ISOS) software protocol stacks, and support for customers' own software stacks. This same software can be used in the development of broadband access gateway products for ADSL, VDSL, GPON and GE-PON, allowing manufacturers to reduce engineering design cycles and maximize engineering resources.

Conexant's CO and CPE solutions include a full range of standards-based integrated circuits, software, and reference designs for asymmetric and symmetric DSL applications including ADSL2plus, SHDSL, and VDSL2. Fiber access solutions include the Xenon family of products for PON applications.

Packaging, Pricing and Availability

The CX95202 Xenon-IIIG and CX95203 Xenon-IIIE SoCs are packaged in an 824-pin plastic ball grid array (PBGA) and priced at $29.50 each in quantities of 10,000. They are currently sampling, with volume production slated for July 2007.

About Conexant

Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks.

Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug® and HomePNA(TM). The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines.

Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company that recorded revenues of $970.8 million in fiscal year 2006. The company has approximately 3,200 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit www.conexant.com.