Ikanos Introduces Extended Reach, Low Power 100/100 Mbps VDSL2 Chipsets


Fx(TM)100100-4-EX and Fx(TM)100100S-4-EX VDSL2 Chipsets Extend Range of 100/100 Mbps Service up to 80% and Enable Fan-less Equipment Design

FREMONT, Calif., Dec. 6 -- Ikanos Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKAN), a leading developer of Fiber Fast(TM) broadband solutions, today introduced the Fx(TM)100100-4-EX and Fx(TM)100100S-4-EX chipsets for Optical Network Unit (ONU) and Subscriber Located Equipment (SLE) respectively. Available now in sample quantities, the new chipsets are designed to deliver the highest performance and density along with the lowest power consumption available in the market today.

The new chipsets are designed to deliver VDSL2 and VDSL services in multi-tenant unit (MTU) and multi-dwelling unit (MDU) applications and to enable carriers to extend the reach of symmetric 100 Mbps services up to 80%. As a result, Ikanos expects that carriers will be able to increase revenues by delivering interactive services, including HDTV, videoconferencing, and interactive gaming to more customers without increasing equipment cost. In addition, the Fx100100-4-EX chipset is designed to consume up to 30% less power than Ikanos' first-generation Fx100100 chipset, a breakthrough which allows the design of fan-less systems. By eliminating the need for a cooling fan, the Fx100100-4-EX chipset enables a new generation of lower-cost MxU equipment quiet enough to be deployed inside smaller apartment buildings lacking a separate room for communications equipment. As a result, Ikanos expects that the carriers' available market will expand to include smaller buildings as well as the larger multi-tenant units which have been the majority of MxU deployments to date.

"The MxU market has been the sweet spot for VDSL in high-density environments in Asia, and now European and North American carriers are planning to roll it out for triple play services to their multi-dwelling subscribers," said Melissa Yocum, senior market analyst at IMS Research.

The Fx100100-4-EX chipset for ONU equipment consists of an 8-port BME (DSP Engine), a 4-port AFE (Analog Front End) and a 1-port IFE (Integrated Front End). The Fx100100S-4-EX chipset for SLE consists of a single-port BME (DSP Engine) and a single-port IFE, which integrates a digital/analog converter, analog/digital converter, line driver, low-noise amplifier, and filters.

"Many carriers have already deployed Ikanos' VDSL technology to deliver interactive services to MxU subscribers," said Dean Grumlose, vice president of marketing at Ikanos. "Ikanos' new generation of Fx chipsets are designed to interoperate with deployed subscriber and infrastructure equipment, and to reduce carriers' costs through longer reach, lower power consumption, and higher port density."

Both chipsets include iPOS (Ikanos Programmable Operating System), which consists of firmware, APIs, and reference host software to configure programmable features on the chipsets. Chipset evaluation systems are available today, and production is expected to begin in late December, 2005.

About Ikanos Communications

Ikanos Communications, Inc. develops and provides chipsets that are designed to enable carriers to offer Fiber Fast(TM) broadband services at transmission rates up to 100 Mbps. Ikanos' silicon solutions are designed to enable OEM equipment vendors to serve varying customers in order to accelerate time to market and reduce costs.

Source: Ikanos Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: Susan Lehman of Story Communications, +1-510-832-6006, or susan@storypr.com, for Ikanos Communications; or Nicole Amsler, Director, Marketing Communications of Ikanos Communications, Inc., +1-510-438-6276, or namsler@ikanos.com

Web site: http://www.ikanos.com/

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