Cascade Communications sets the pace for high speed Frame Relay access; Cascade is the first vendor shipping high speed T3 E3 Frame Relay, delivering thirty times the capacity of alternative solutions

Business Wire, July 8, 1996

WESTFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1996--Cascade Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:CSCC) today announced that it is offering the industry's first implementation of the Frame Relay Forum's recently ratified standard for T3 (45 Mbps)/E3 (34 Mbps) for Frame Relay access (FRF .1.1).

This new User-to-Network Interface (UNI) Implementer's Agreement addresses growing demand for high speed access to business-critical data and Internet services by delivering 30 times the capacity of T1 (1.54 Mbps), the previous Frame Relay transmission limit standardized by the forum.

Cascade has already shipped over 6000 ports supporting High Speed Frame Relay trunking and access to public carriers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), including LDDS WorldCom, Bell Atlantic, Bell South, Pacific Bell, Ashton Communications and UUNET Technologies.

LDDS WorldCom has seen tremendous success with our High Speed Frame Relay service," said David Natho, LDDS WorldCom broadband product manager. "We introduced the service because customers, including several Internet Service Providers, came to us and said they needed more than a DS-1. With the Cascade B-STDX 9000 switches, we were able to meet the needs of our customers. Many of our customers have 400 or more remote locations nationwide and need the high speed service for their host sites. The business needs for High Speed Frame Relay are here. The market is demanding this type of service."

"Frame Relay deployment has evolved to a point where applications and usage patterns increasingly demand high bandwidth availability," said Doug O'Leary, Vice President of User Activities and Technical Committee Chair, Frame Relay Forum. "The Frame Relay Forum has modified the User-to-Network Interface Implementer's Agreement (FRF .1.1) to meet user demands for Frame Relay Access speeds up to 45 Mbps (DS3). This Implementer's Agreement, along with the Frame Relay-to-ATM Network and Service Interworking Agreements (FRF.5 and FRF.8), provide for the coexistence of Frame Relay and ATM technologies for high speed switched networking.

"Until now, ATM was the only technology with a ratified T3 UNI standard, making it costly and cumbersome for some users to expand their WAN capacity," said Lori Dreher, Frame Relay product marketing manager for Cascade Communications Corp. "Moreover, while ATM is positioned as the industry's next-generation technology, current market trends continue to drive demand for higher speed Frame Relay. Today's announcement underscores the benefits of Cascade's unique software-based switch architecture, while ensuring a viable ATM migration path through our proven and deployed Frame Relay-to-ATM Interworking functions."

High Speed Frame Relay addresses three rapidly emerging application requirements in the global network communications market:

- Reducing bottlenecks at busy web sites by provisioning high speed UNI access pipes between the server and the Frame Relay network

- High-speed networking between corporate offices and branch offices

- Consolidation of SNA/LAN environments in support of high speed access to data centers with fewer physical ports

"Cascade's leadership in delivering best-in-class scalability, low cost, and value-added functions provide a solid strategy to SNA network customers seeking network simplification and improved cost efficiency, while continuing to migrate to increasingly advanced network functions," said Rick McGee, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, IBM Networking Hardware Division. "Cascade's sophisticated software capabilities deliver high quality support for ATM Interworking and transport for high performance Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking, enabling customers to continue to deploy the industry's most advanced networks and efficiently support mission critical applications."

Cascade delivers High Speed Frame Relay access on the B-STDX at data rates up to 45 Mbps via a two port HSSI (High Speed Serial Interface) I/O module for data center and Internet POPs. The HSSI I/O module's two physical ports are each configurable at speeds that increment from 1.54 Mbps to 45 Mbps. The HSSI module can also be used for high-speed trunking between Cascade switches or as a feeder link into a backbone central office class switch, a cost-effective solution for high-speed connection requirements.

The heart of the Internet and switch of choice for 16 leading U.S. Public Carriers, the B-STDX leads the industry in first to market implementation of all Frame Relay Forum's Implementer's Agreements, positioning the switch as the undisputed technology leader for Frame Relay.

Available now, Cascade's T3/E3 Frame Relay two-port HSSI module is priced at $20,000. Priced according to configuration, the base unit for the 16-slot B-STDX 9000 is $30,000. The base unit for the 8-slot B-STDX 8000 is priced at $15,000. Customers interested in learning more should contact Cascade at 1-800-984-1939 or visit Cascade's web site at http://www.casc.com. -0-

About Cascade Communications Corp.