NTT, Japan's Largest Supplier of Telecommunications Services, Chooses Ascend Frame Relay Multiservice WAN Switches

Business Wire, Sept 16, 1997

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 1997--Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND) today announced that its carrier-class B-STDX 9000 Multiservice Frame Relay switches and CBX 500 ATM switches have been selected by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) in Japan, the world's second largest telecommunications company. Over the next three years, more than 150 Frame Relay switches and a number of ATM switches will be used as the backbone to enhance NTT's domestic Frame Relay network to accommodate the country's rapidly increasing data traffic including Internet and corporate use.

Ascend's carrier-class switches were selected by NTT for their excellent cost/performance, scalability and reliability. These were key deciding factors in the search for a solution to help NTT respond to competitive pressures now driving tremendous growth in the Japanese Internet market.

The Frame Relay switches provide a flexible, cost-effective multiservice WAN platform for interworking among broadband packet networks, including Frame Relay, SMDS, IP, and ATM. It also enables enhanced Frame Relay services such as Quality of Service (QoS) with Priority Frame technology. The Frame Relay switches also enable QoS guarantees and IP services through Ascend's IP Navigator software. The Ascend CBX 500 ATM switches provide a high-bandwidth (OC-12), high-density multiservice platform. They offer features that ensure QoS, a modular design for economical scaling, and integral high-speed Frame Relay and IP access and interworking.

"We are very pleased to see that our market-leading Frame Relay products will be the focus for enhancing Japan's most important Frame Relay carrier backbone," said Curt Sanford, Senior Vice President & General Manager of International Operations, Ascend Communications, Inc.

About NTT

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) and its subsidiaries are the largest nationwide supplier of telecommunications service in Japan, offering telephone, cellular telephone, telegraph, leased circuit, data communication facility, digital data exchange, pocket pager, and other services as well as leasing and purchase plans for terminal equipment. Visit NTT's home page at http://www.nttinfo.ntt.co.jp .

About Ascend Communications

Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures and sells wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at http://www.ascend.com or e-mail info@ascend.com . Ascend has headquarters at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502; 800/ASCEND4; fax 510/814-2300.

CONTACT: Ascend Communications, Alameda

Lucy Graziano, 508/952-1291

lucy.graziano@ascend.com

or

Gallagher PR

Shannon Malliet, 510/747-2254

smalliet@ascend.com