Sichuan Telecom Selects Riverstone for Its Next-Generation Ethernet Service Infrastructure

Business Wire, March 20, 2006

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Riverstone Networks, a leading provider of Carrier Ethernet solutions, today announced that Sichuan Telecom, a division of China Telecom, is deploying Riverstone's 15008 and RS 3100 routers to upgrade its existing metro Ethernet network in Luzhou prefecture, Sichuan province. The deployment reflects Riverstone's growing relationship with China Telecom, which has also deployed the company's industry-leading Ethernet routers in its Shanghai and Wuhan branches.

Using Riverstone's Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) technology, Sichuan Telecom will be able to substantially scale its network to accommodate additional and larger enterprise subscribers. In addition to scaling the network, Sichuan Telecom will be able to offer more reliable and secure Layer 2 VPNs and IP/MPLS services, all of which it cannot do with its existing network. The VPLS-based network will also provide the additional Quality of Service (QoS) needed for the carrier to provide its business customers with guaranteed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

"The enterprise segment of our business is growing very rapidly and, with it, the demand for Ethernet services," said Deng Jie, Technical Manager, Sichuan Telecom Luzhou Branch, and a member of the Technical Expert Team of Sichuan Telecom. "At the same time, a growing number of customers are looking for point-to-multipoint connectivity amongst multiple, large campuses. Riverstone's proven capabilities and experience within China Telecom's network made them the logical choice as we upgrade from Ethernet switches to a more flexible and scalable routing solution."

Riverstone's MEF-certified carrier Ethernet routers provide Sichuan Telecom with a true carrier-grade solution featuring fully redundant hardware and software for high reliability, plus MPLS/VPLS for resiliency, scalability and QoS. Unlike the Layer 2 carrier Ethernet switches that carriers often deployed for business services, Riverstone's MPLS-based Ethernet routing solutions can scale to support upwards of a million end-users.

Riverstone Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of carrier Ethernet infrastructure solutions for business and residential communications services. Riverstone's Ethernet router portfolio uniquely delivers the reliability that allows carriers to meet the triple play -- voice, video and data -- service requirements of their customers in a cost-effective and scalable way. Riverstone allows carriers to offer new services over existing revenue-generating networks permitting them to evolve to a next generation Ethernet infrastructure.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including without limitation statements regarding Sichuan Telecom's ability to increase the capacity of its network in the future, offer Layer 2 VPN and IP/MPLS services and satisfy service level commitments to its customers 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 availability of hardware and software for components of the customer's network not supplied by Riverstone, the adequacy of on-going maintenance of the network and whether replacement components are properly deployed to support specific service level commitments to end customers, along with those risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Riverstone Networks' SEC reports prior to February 10, 2006. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements.