Essent Kabelcom Deploys BigBand Networks' Broadband Multimedia-Service Router -BMR- for Digital Broadcast Grooming

Business Wire, Sept 17, 2002

Business Editors

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2002

Seventh Largest Cable Operator in Europe Selects the BMR

for its Reliable and Proven Performance

BigBand Networks, a leading provider of broadband multimedia routing systems for broadcast television and advanced services, today announced that Essent Kabelcom has selected BigBand Networks' Broadband Multimedia-Service Router (BMR(R)) for digital broadcast grooming.

The BMR is deployed in Essent Kabelcom's national system, following rigorous lab evaluations and extensive field tests.

The BMRs will be used for standard definition television programs, sourced from a variety of satellite feeds, and re-multiplexed with BigBand Networks' RateShaping(TM) functionality to enhance network efficiency.

The BMR achieves a new approach to digital broadcast grooming as an integrated service within a networked, multi-service environment. Benefits include:

- Leading port density, with over four times the space efficiency of legacy alternatives on a reliable, carrier-class platform

- RateShaping bit rate adaptation maximizes bandwidth efficiency while maintaining video quality

- Integrated switching minimizes physical re-cabling, and supports customized line-ups by service area

- GUI-based Broadcast Control Manager provides real-time drag-and-drop control over channel line-ups with no service interruption

ABOUT BIGBAND NETWORKS

BigBand Networks, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells and supports Broadband Multimedia-Service Routers (BMR). The BMR is a new class of router built on the company's NativeMedia(TM) technology that uniquely routes and integrates video, audio and data in their native formats. This enables service providers to deliver broadcast-quality content and advanced, interactive services such as digital broadcasting, HDTV, ad insertion, VOD and iTV to the mass market. The company's customers include Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Rogers Cable. BigBand Networks is based in Redwood City, CA. For more information on BigBand Networks, please visit www.bigbandnet.com.

ABOUT ESSENT KABELCOM

Essent Kabelcom is an important player in the Dutch cable sector. It is active in the areas of telecommunications, data communications, radio, TV, and internet, both for the consumer market and for the business sector. On a daily basis it reaches approximately five million people in the North, East, and South of the Netherlands through 1.7 million cable connections.

Essent Kabelcom is the second largest cable company in the Netherlands. The company employs more than 1,000 people. In 2001 its sales were more than 270 million Euro. Moreover, this company is the only large player in the sector that is in Dutch hands for the full one hundred percent. The company was founded in May 2000 as a result of a merger between CasTel (North of the Netherlands) and Palet (South of the Netherlands). This merger was the result of the merger of the respective mother companies, the NV EDON and PNEM-MEGA Group, to form Essent NV. Together with Essent Energie and Essent Milieu, Essent Kabelcom is a division of Essent.

Cable network

Our own cable network is the basis of our services. More than sixty percent of this network is glass fiber and suitable for returns. This means that connections to this part of the network are suitable for internet, digital television, and telephony.