KDDI Deploys New Digital Media Infrastructure for Mobile Consumers in Japan Using Digital Fountain™ Technology

Business Wire, Nov 16, 2006

Digital Fountain's DF Raptor Technology Enables KDDI to Deliver EZChannel Plus and EZNews Flash Multicast Services to "au"-branded Mobile Devices

FREMONT, Calif. -- KDDI, one of Japan's leading information and communications companies, has deployed Digital Fountain's DF Raptor[TM] technology to deliver its new independent broadcast network for the company's 'au'-branded mobile phones. DF Raptor will help to ensure that subscribers of KDDI's 'EZChannel Plus' and 'EZNews Flash' services enjoy great mobile contentCoincluding music videos, daily news, weather, and moreCodelivered quickly and efficiently to their mobile phones.

The world's most advanced technology for reliable delivery of high-quality digital entertainment; DF Raptor is an erasure correction code that mathematically recovers missing or lost data without requiring retransmission from the sender. DF Raptor increases file transmission efficiency even in extreme network conditions, enabling the delivery of more content over a broader geographic range while consuming less bandwidth.

"Japan is one of the most advanced mobile markets in the world," comments Seiichiro Sakai, Director, Product Strategy & Development Department, "au" Service & Product Planning Division, "au" Business Sector of KDDI. "I firmly believe that 'EZ Channel Plus' and 'EZ News Flash' will satisfy Japanese customers with their highly value-added services."

The DF Raptor software is now deployed in all new KDDI "au"-branded handsets that support the 'EZChannel Plus' and 'EZNews Flash' services. DF Raptor has been adopted as a standard for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project's (3GPP) Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) specification, and is part of the global standard to support content delivery services over DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) wireless networks.

"KDDI's selection of DF Raptor is a significant milestone in the delivery of digital entertainment to the mobile device," said Charlie Oppenheimer, president and CEO of Digital Fountain. "We are excited that Digital Fountain's advanced technology has once again proven essential as the foundation for delivering entertainment-grade digital media to consumers everywhere."

Throughout this project, Sumitomo Electric Networks (Suminet), Digital Fountain's business and technology partner in Japan, has provided additional software and support to KDDI and its vendors, enabling this exciting project to be successfully completed in a short time. "We believe the success of this project will lead to many other opportunities for Sumitomo Electric Networks to promote and support DF Raptor in Japan," said Hiroaki Nishimoto, General Manager, Suminet CDN Development Group. "We are proud to partner with Digital Fountain."

About Digital Fountain (www.digitalfountain.com)

Digital Fountain(TM) develops and licenses advanced technologies that enable reliable, high-quality delivery of digital media. Digital Fountain's patented DF Raptor(TM) technology improves multimedia streaming quality, and ensures the most efficient and timely delivery of data. DF Raptor is used today in a variety of enterprise, military and consumer devices and applications, supporting both wired and wireless telecommunications networks. Digital Fountain technologies have been adopted by several international standards bodies, including 3GPP's Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) specification, and Digital Video Broadcasting's DVB-H specification for wireless networks. For more information, please visit www.digitalfountain.com.

About KDDI (www.kddi.com)

KDDI is the only Japanese information and communications company that provides comprehensive communications services to users via fixed and mobile communications networks. KDDI is aggressively working toward the realization of the "Ubiquitous Network Society" by developing leading-edge fixed and mobile communications networks and services, supported by an unsurpassed commitment to research and development. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan.

About Sumitomo Electric Networks, Inc. (http://www.sei-networks.com)

Sumitomo Electric Networks, Inc., a leading supplier of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and Fiber Optic network equipment for the broadband access market in Japan and Asia, was established by the parent company, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. on August 1, 2002, to take over the broadband IP access network businesses. The veteran management team at Sumitomo Electric Networks delivers innovative products that continue to foster and promote new entrepreneurial initiatives in the promising broadband access market. Sumitomo Electric Networks' flexibility and agility provides customers with competitive time-to-market product developments.