Paradyne Launches New HotWire Digital Subscriber Line -DSL- Solutions Offering Seven Megabits Per Second -Mbps- At NetWorld + Interop '97

Business Wire, Sept 30, 1997

LARGO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 1997--

-- New Upgrade with the HotWire 5546 Release 2 Ships late

October for 7 Mbps DSL Transmission --

-- Paradyne's HotWire products solve the "last mile" bottleneck

and deliver Internet/Intranet access 125 times faster than

a 56k modem and more than 50 times faster than ISDN at

128 Kilobits Per Second (Kbps) - at low access costs --

Paradyne, a pioneer in DSL and a leader in digital network access, today announced HotWire products that deliver transmission speeds of up to seven Mbps to accommodate high-speed voice, data and video applications and transparent LAN services (LAN-to-LAN services within a metropolitan area) over ordinary copper wire. The HotWire 5446 Release 2 with the new seven Mbps firmware upgrade ships late October and will be formally introduced October 8-10 at Networld Interop in Booth No. 717. Offering Rate Adaptive DSL (RADSL) flexibility, the new HotWire 5446 endpoints deliver speeds up to 7.168 downstream and up to 1.08 Mbps on the return channel.

Paradyne's HotWire products solve the "last mile" bottleneck and deliver Internet/Intranet access 125 times faster than a 56k modem and more than 50 times faster than ISDN at 128 Kbps - at low access costs. Targeted to deliver high-speed corporate Internet connectivity, video applications and transparent LAN services (local area network connections within a metropolitan area), the SNMP- managed HotWire 5446 endpoint supports up to 32 subnets, equating to virtually an unlimited number of users. The 5446 interoperates with a four-port card that fits into the HotWire 8800 and 8600 multiservices DSLAMs.

Also shipping late October are Paradyne's HotWire 5216 and 5246 DSL endpoints. Designed to support high-speed network access for the remote teleworker or residential user, the 5216 is one of the lowest priced DSL endpoints available on the market today. Priced at only $495, the HotWire 5216 is capable of 1 Mbps symmetric transmission speeds. The HotWire 5246 offers 2.56 Mbps RADSL services and supports up to 32 users. Consistent with Paradyne's network management strategy, the 5216 and 5246 are both SNMP manageable.

According to Paradyne President and CEO Andrew May, Paradyne is delivering on the promises made at Networld Interop Spring to offer a wide variety of endpoint devices in support of Paradyne's multiservices approach to the DSL market. "Paradyne is about the business of defining the DSL market requirements and what it will take to be a dominant, sustainable player in the DSL arena," noted May. "We said that under Paradyne's definition of multiservices that adding a new service would be as easy as adding a new card to a HotWire DSLAM. Last month, we announced the new 8700 four-port DSLAM card to support channelized symmetric services and now we are shipping new HotWire products that will enable service providers to approach new market segments efficiently and cost effectively."

"HotWire products have had great success in the lower to mid-speed data services applications. The advancement to 7 Mbps will enable a whole new set of application capabilities for our customers, particularly in the area of video services," said Frank Wiener, Vice President and General Manager of Paradyne's DSL Division.

Pricing and Availability

The HotWire 5446 with 7 Mbps option carries a U.S. list price of $1,195 while the 5216 boasts one of the lowest prices on the market for a 1 Mbps symmetric device at $495. The 5246 lists for $795. All are available for shipment late October.

HotWire and other Paradyne products are marketed through a worldwide network of distributors and Value Added Resellers (VARs). For more information on Paradyne and its products or the newly published "DSL Sourcebook - Plain Answers About Digital Subscriber Line Opportunities," call 1-800-PARADYNE, or visit Paradyne's Power Pages at http://www.paradyne.com.

Headquartered in Largo, Florida, Paradyne is a leading developer and provider of products and technologies that facilitate high-speed access to networks worldwide for communications, computing and information. Recognized as the market leader in T1 DSU/CSUs(a), Paradyne is one of the largest, privately held manufacturers of network access products. Paradyne markets its award-winning analog products, digital access products and an extensive array of frame relay and access multiplexers to Network Service Providers (NSPs) Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Frame Relay Service Providers (FRSPs) and commercial end users. -0-

(a) IDC "Trends in the Digital Access Equipment Arena Report, April 1996.

Editors Note: For more information, product slides technical specifications or to schedule an interview with Paradyne, contact Debra Eisenberg, media relations manager, at 813-530-8207. Internet address: deisenberg@paradyne.com. Product availability and pricing subject to change without notification. Paradyne and HotWire are trademarks of Paradyne Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Subsequent to its sale on August 1, 1996 from AT&T Corp. and Lucent Technologies, Inc., Paradyne is now an independently owned company.