Extant Deploys Ascend Multiservice Switches and IP Navigator MPLS Across 25 City Nationwide ATM Backbone

Business Wire, May 12, 1999

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1999--

Extant Deploys Ascend's Market-Leading GX 550 "Smart"

Core and CBX 500 ATM Switches With IP Navigator MPLS

for National Data Transport

Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND), a leader in wide area networking (WAN) and Intelligent Network (IN) solutions for providers and users of the next-generation public network, today announced that Extant has begun deploying the Ascend GX 550(TM) "Smart" Core and CBX 500(TM) Multiservice asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) Switches to build a high-capacity ATM backbone in 25 cities nationwide, initially.

Extant will be offering Internet protocol (IP) and ATM transport to the growing number of regional competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and Internet service providers (ISPs) in the U.S. To manage and provision IP services on the GX 550 and CBX 500 ATM backbone Extant is using the Ascend IP Navigator(TM) software, which adds IP Layer 3 routing to Ascend's Multiservice ATM and Frame Relay WAN switches and delivers "absolute" Quality of Service (QoS).

Extant's nationwide ATM backbone will connect major metropolitan markets with high-speed data networking, delivering inter-city communications and offering CLECs and ISPs the ability to deliver end to end services to regions previously outside of their reach.

Based in Denver, Extant provides more than just "big pipes" to regional providers. Extant partners with their customers by providing integrated customer network management capabilities to the service providers. Extant's customers have the ability to tap into its extranet, which provides state-of-the-art provisioning, billing, service level agreements (SLAs), and QoS reports.

Using these services a CLEC based in the Northeast, for example, can gather QoS capabilities of CLECs based in the Southwest with the intent of using that information to choose an appropriate CLEC to terminate the Northeast-based traffic. Once an inter-regional connection is up and running over the Extant backbone, the regional providers may monitor and/or provision circuits across the ATM Backbone.

"In addition to Ascend's best-in-class carrier solutions for our national ATM backbone rollout, no other solutions provider could provide the management features for our extranet services," stated Larry McLernon, CEO of Extant. "Ascend's stellar reputation and comprehensive switching and management solutions were key factors in our decision. Two key Ascend offerings -- IP Navigator and Navis management software -- put Ascend over the top when we were evaluating their advanced switching solutions."

With the multiservice capabilities of Ascend's products Extant has the ability to offer direct ATM, Frame Relay or IP connections to its customers.

"Today's alternative carriers need more flexible, cost-effective networks to deliver services," said David Misunas, vice president of marketing and product management, Core Systems Division, Ascend Communications. "The multiservice nature of our core switching products make them an incredible building block for Extant's next-generation network."

Founded by former LCI executives, Extant provides the most flexible ATM service today, including both permanent virtual circuit (PVC) and switched virtual circuit (SVC) products with pay-as-you-go pricing and the ability to transport voice, video and data over one simple connection. Extant has completed their phase of network deployment including the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, New York, and Washington, DC. Service rollouts to the additional 25 cities nationwide are planned through the end of this year.

Delivering Flexible, Multiservice Solutions from the Core to the

Edge

Extant will be utilizing Ascend's GX 550 "Smart" Core ATM switch which combines the scalability and capacity of a core switch with the intelligence, service capability and cost-effectiveness of an edge switch. A market-leading solution, the Ascend GX 550 is the first ATM core switch to deliver OC-48/STM-16 speeds and support industry-leading density for OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4 and OC-48/STM-16. The GX 550 incorporates end-to-end QoS and advanced networking features enabling Extant to offer sophisticated ATM services directly from its core network.

With the CBX 500, Extant takes advantage of a Multiservice ATM switch that delivers ATM features with integral high speed Frame Relay and IP access. The CBX 500 offers high port density, advanced distributed processing and Virtual Network Navigator (VNN) network-wide topology management.

About Extant

Extant, Inc. is the niche provider of wholesale national ATM data transport and Extranet settlement services to regional, next-generation telecommunications service providers.

For more information about Extant, Inc. and its services, please call 888/622-8160 or visit their Web Site at http://www.extant.net or send e-mail to info@extant.net. Extant, Inc., Pavilion Tower II, Suite 700, 2021 South Parker Road, Aurora, Colorado 80014.

About Ascend Communications