Press Release

Laurel Networks' finds IP Video-over-DSL to the Home Not an "If" But a "When," in CeBIT Survey

Show attendees expect to see fully converged IP-based networks appear within three years

HANOVER, Germany - 16th March 2005 - Telecom industry professionals attending CeBIT believe that DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and IP (Internet Protocol) will be the preferred transport technologies for video in tomorrow's networks. That was the finding of a survey of CeBIT attendees conducted by Laurel Networks, Inc., which showcased the triple play capabilities of its ST200™ Service Edge Router at the DSLHome™ booth at CeBIT this past week.

The survey of visitors to the show's major telecommunications hall found that attendees expect to see converged IP-based networks for voice, video and data within three years. Survey-takers identified government regulation as the single largest hurdle to deployment, with regulation bypassing deployment expense, operational costs and technology complexity as impediments to the growth of triple play networks.

"It's interesting that regulation - not technology - is seen as the largest barrier today to delivering video over the last mile," said Steve Vogelsang, vice president of marketing at Laurel Networks. "As regulatory issues are sorted out, the next challenge service providers will face is building scalable, highly-reliable infrastructure networks that can deliver high-speed video content to users. From our standpoint, we believe that high availability and platform density will be key ingredients to delivering on the promise of triple play."

Laurel Networks polled 100 industry professionals during the annual CeBIT show in Hanover, Germany. The company delivers high-capacity routing technology that enables service providers to offer enhanced network scalability, enabling a full range of services from standard Internet-only service delivery to full-fledged triple-play capabilities.

Commenting from CeBIT, Laurie Gonzalez, marketing director for the DSL Forum, the global industry organization that developed the DSLHome initiative, said: "There are more than a billion phone lines worldwide, all of which can deliver DSL. In developing markets, such as Eastern Europe, this gives DSL a tremendous head-start against other technologies, since it utilizes an existing network of analog telephone lines. As DSL continues to mature, network-edge technology will insure that providers have intelligent networks that deliver quality interactive broadband services, as well as address growing consumer demand for higher speeds and greater reliability. This will be a key part of enabling unfettered growth for DSL."

About Laurel Networks
Laurel Networks delivers routing technology that helps service providers to transition from the standard Internet-only service delivery model into full-fledged triple-play networks. Designed for enhanced network scalability, Laurel's ST-series ™ routers allow service providers to add advanced broadband applications, like video on demand or voice over IP, without incremental cost as the subscriber base grows.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Laurel operates sales and support facilities across the US, Europe and Asia. Its routers are deployed by some of the world's largest service providers including: Level 3 Communications, KT, Dacom, and Arsys. The company also maintains strategic partnerships with CIENA, a leading global provider of innovative network solutions, and with Marconi, a global telecommunications equipment, services and solutions company. For more information, visit www.laurelnetworks.com.

Media Contacts
US: Steve Vogelsang, Laurel Networks, +1-412-809-4300 / sjv@laurelnetworks.com

Europe: Simon Jones, arcendo communications, +49 89 4890 1333 / sj@arcendo.com