Chinese Province Furthers Distance Learning Initiative With Deployment of Riverstone-Enabled Regional Network

Business Wire, Jan 20, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2003

Riverstone Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:RSTN) today announced that it is helping China further its educational reform program with the deployment of a provincewide distance learning network. In the first phase of construction, Anhui, a province in southeastern China, will deploy Riverstone's RS 38000 and RS 8000 routers and ES 500 switches to build an educational network that will bring distance learning opportunities to its 60 million residents. Next year, Anhui will continue to expand its network with additional deployments throughout the region.

Networked distance learning enables interactive teaching and learning at any time and place by delivering educational content to one or more sites outside the campus via voice, video (live broadcast or rebroadcast) and real-time computer technologies. With Riverstone's carrier class technology, the Anhui education network will provide easy and efficient access to a variety of distance learning and scientific resource sharing applications, including public multimedia communication networks, computer technology for continuing education, short-term training programs, instructional materials and academic teleconferences.

"The advent of networked distance learning has created new opportunities to access and communicate knowledge across remote and outlying areas," said Howard Lee, Riverstone's regional general manager for Asia Pacific. "As an educational tool serving millions of people, such an application demands the high performance reliability and resiliency features of carrier networks that Riverstone's technology is optimized to provide."

With Riverstone's Hitless Protection System (HPS), the Anhui education network gains the carrier class availability and failover features that have typically been relegated to carrier networks. The Hitless Protection System enables Riverstone's RS family of routers to continue functioning during software upgrades and system restarts with no impact on live traffic, significantly increasing network uptime and reducing costs associated with network outages.

The Anhui Three Year Plan for Education Informatization outlines a strategy to bring modern information technology and shared resources to the province's educational institutions, including elementary and technical secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. The plan enables teachers and students throughout the province to share information over an advanced education network and furthers the province's distance learning initiative.

Riverstone is continuing to expand its presence in China, the world's largest telecommunications market. Recently China Netcom deployed Riverstone's RS family of routers in a citywide metropolitan network that brings advanced video, data and rich content streaming applications to businesses and residents in Quanzhou, one of the most advanced cities in China's Fujian Province. In addition, Shanxi Cable, the provincial cable provider for Shanxi, has deployed Riverstone's routers to extend advanced IP services to the province's businesses and residents.

China's Ministry of Education, in an effort to eradicate illiteracy, ease the shortage of teachers and promote teaching techniques, adopted in 1998, the Action Scheme for Invigorating Education Towards the 21st Century. The aggressive program enlists distance learning solutions to enable students in remote areas to acquire professional skills and knowledge through television programs and correspondence schools. To fund the program, China's Ministry of Education will allocate a portion of its $25 billion budget for the development of advanced educational networks. In 2003, the Ministry will build more than 35 educational metropolitan networks to connect 1,000 colleges and universities.

Hong Kong-based Vodatel Systems will provide network integration and technical support for the deployment.

About Riverstone Networks

Riverstone Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:RSTN) provides solutions for metropolitan area networks, enabling carriers to convert raw bandwidth into profitable services. In more than 50 countries, carriers operating many of the world's largest metropolitan area networks depend on Riverstone to create and reliably deliver profitable services over legacy and next-generation infrastructures. Worldwide, Riverstone routers are the trusted choice of many telecommunications carriers. For more information, please visit Riverstone's web site at www.riverstonenet.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements as to market growth, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks detailed from time to time in Riverstone Networks' SEC reports, including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended Aug. 31, 2002. Riverstone Networks disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements.