KDDI Offering 3G Data Services with Starent Networks Solution; Japan's Largest 3G Operator Selects Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway

Business Wire, Nov 16, 2004

TEWKSBURY, Mass. -- KDDI Corp., a leading CDMA2000 mobile operator in Japan, has deployed Starent Networks' high-performance core network platform for its 1xEV-DO network at 800 Mhz. The Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway is providing high-speed data services to KDDI's subscribers through its CDMA 1X WIN broadband service.

KDDI has the largest CDMA network in Japan with more than 18 million subscribers and has the most third-generation (3G) subscribers in the country with over 16.1 million. The Japanese mobile communications market has long been one of the largest and most progressive, with a projected $13.4 billion in data revenue for 2004. This makes it the world's largest market with two to three times the revenue of other leading countries according to analyst firm Ovum.

KDDI has built its 1xEV-DO data core network using the Starent Networks' ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway. The nationwide deployment of the ST16 allows subscribers to access innovative new multimedia services, achieving data rates peaking at 2.4Mbps while averaging 300-600Kbps. The services will also be delivered over KDDI's 2.1 GHz spectrum radio networks.

Subscribers can quickly interact and download a larger variety of services and applications. KDDI offers its customers unique services such as Movie Mail, Photo Mail, EZ Channel (movie program downloads), EZ Web (a collection of domestic and international Web sites), EZ Chaku-uta (music distribution and download service), and many others.

"Working with KDDI is a tremendous opportunity for Starent Networks," said Ashraf Dahod, president and CEO of Starent Networks Corp. "It allows us to experience and deliver some of the world's most compelling and unique multimedia services to a very sophisticated subscriber base."

"KDDI is a dynamic force in the Japanese telecommunications market. It has clearly defined and branded products which resonate with customers, and a cohesive technology and portfolio strategy," said Neale Anderson, Asia Pacific Research Director for Ovum. "KDDI has vastly increased its share of net subscriber additions over the past year."

As KDDI examined potential solutions for their deployment they had a number of key requirements. These requirements called for a carrier-class platform capable of offering high-density and seamless scalability, rapid call transaction rates and powerful throughput. As a top-of-class solution, the Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway met these performance criteria.

"The Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway is the ideal solution for a network like KDDI's," said Keisuke Sakamoto, president of Starent Networks Japan K.K. "With the size of its subscriber base, the diversity of services offered and the significant amount of traffic flowing through the data network, KDDI will benefit from Starent's one-of-a-kind platform."

About the Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway

The Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway is designed to enhance the capabilities and experience of the mobile subscriber while increasing the carriers' profitability. The ST16 system fully addresses mobile network requirements, including multimedia service delivery, mobility, capacity and scalability, enhanced billing, carrier-class availability and a clear migration to an all-IP network.

The Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway has become a preferred next-generation solution for mobile operators worldwide. The system uniquely integrates voice, data and multimedia to meet the service delivery requirements of mobile subscribers now and in the future.

Mobile operators are increasingly looking at deployment of advanced services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Push-to-Talk (PTT), PTT over Cellular (PoC), Voice Instant Messaging, video telephony and many others. Because these services are highly delay sensitive, they require key performance characteristics in the network. The ST16 is ideally suited to meets these requirements as it provides high session support, Quality of Service (QoS), rapid call transaction processing, compression services, among others.

Additionally, with the deployment of new services, mobile operators are looking to increase their ability to bill for services and network usage in a flexible manner. The ST16 provides enhanced "user understanding" opening the way to tiered and detailed billing schemes. Through its Enhanced Charging Solution (ECS), the ST16 allows operators to bill on a variety of parameters including: destination, reverse billing, pre-paid, post-paid, Quality-of-Service-based, application-based and many others.

The capabilities of the Starent ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway allow mobile operators to offer services that go beyond current subscriber expectations.

About KDDI Corp.

KDDI is the second largest telecom carrier in Japan, and is the only domestic company that provides both mobile communication service and broadband service. The 66 KDDI group companies had approximately 13,000 staffs and sales in FY2003/4 were 26.7 billion dollars. At KDDI, aggressive improvement of communication environment in preparation for the coming ubiquitous network society is underway and KDDI is aiming to become a "ubiquitous solution company" which provides high value-added solutions.