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Cablevision Teams With Narad to Deliver Fastest Two-Way Broadband Experience in the New York Metropolitan Area
[June 27, 2005]

Cablevision Teams With Narad to Deliver Fastest Two-Way Broadband Experience in the New York Metropolitan Area


BETHPAGE, N.Y. and WESTFORD, Mass., June 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cablevision Systems Corp., and Narad Networks, Inc., a provider of business class broadband access solutions using switched Ethernet over cable, today announced the completion of a successful trial and targeted deployment of a new 100 megabit-per-second (Mbps) data service using the Narad Broadband Access Network (NBAN) and Cablevision's existing network facilities that pass more than 4.4 million homes and hundreds of thousands of businesses in the New York metropolitan area.


In the initial targeted deployment of this high-speed service in Oyster Bay, Long Island, Cablevision is providing a committed information rate of 50 Mbps, out of the available 100 Mbps, symmetrical services. The installation leverages and further extends the capabilities of Cablevision's existing state-of-the-art fiber and coaxial (HFC) network, and reflects the superior speed, features and functionality Cablevision is delivering today to both business and residential customers through its robust consumer offering and Lightpath suite of business services.
"This initial deployment of a 100 Mbps data service is a powerful and unmistakable indication of the enormous capacity of our state-of-the-art network," said Wilt Hildenbrand, Cablevision's executive vice president of technology and engineering. "Our operations people are extremely pleased with how fast and easy the process was, and our product and marketing people are excited to have the Narad technology available to tap more of the intrinsic capabilities of our network to serve very high capacity demands. This demonstrates that our HFC networks, in addition to our pure fiber networks, have no inherent capacity limits for multiple levels of residential as well as commercial services, and can provide this very high level of service without the expense and time delay of network redesign or new construction."
In the current deployed architecture, NBAN provides up to 100 Mbps of dedicated symmetric Ethernet on each of the four coaxial cable trunks in an HFC node, enabling Cablevision to economically provide enterprise-grade, unmatched bandwidth services while preserving all existing infrastructure and previously deployed video, voice and Internet services.
The Cablevision installation uses Narad's coax-based outdoor Ethernet switches, which leverage the spectrum above 860 MHz to create new, QoS-managed bandwidth. The use of a switching fabric assures data security and network monitoring needed for enterprise telecom services. The Narad architecture evolution will allow 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps symmetric Ethernet to be carried, in the last mile, over any combination of fiber, coax, and wireless transmission media.
"Cablevision has been a leader in advanced broadband services, and now they are jumping ahead in extending that capability and bandwidth offering deeper into their market," said John C. Petrillo, chairman and chief executive officer of Narad Networks. "We're honored to be working with them in this enhanced broadband deployment, further validating Narad's out-of-band Ethernet overlay solution. The time-to-market and performance of our technology allows MSOs to be proactive in their very high capacity, enterprise level, broadband services rollouts and take full advantage of the huge revenue opportunities in this space."
About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation's leading entertainment and telecommunications companies. Its cable television operations serve 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company's advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO: Interactive Optimum digital television, Optimum Online high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice digital voice-over-cable, and its Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE and other national and regional networks. In addition to its telecommunications and programming businesses, Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.
About Narad Networks
Narad Networks, Inc. provides cable operators with cost-effective solutions to create new, managed, symmetric capacity on existing cable networks. Narad enables the delivery of highly profitable broadband voice and data services over cable infrastructure while minimizing capital expenditures and accelerating free cash flow. The company's solution leverages the previously unusable frequency spectrum to overlay secure, switched Ethernet onto existing HFC networks. The solution can be installed in phases, only adding equipment to those portions of the plant that lie directly between the node and the business customer. Narad's solution enables cable operators to offer services such as Voice-over IP, T1/E1 voice, symmetric broadband Ethernet up to 100 Mbps, and virtual private networks. The Narad solution adds 400 Mbps symmetric capacity to each HFC node. Business customers include small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), mobile and WiFi operators, enterprise customers, schools and municipalities.
Narad was recently awarded its key patent, "Network Architecture for Intelligent Network Elements." This patent pertains to Narad's method of transmitting data over coaxial cable, which combines legacy signals below 860 MHz with out-of-band high frequency data signals. The technology enables the augment the cable network with switched Ethernet.
Founded in July 2000 and based in Westford, Massachusetts, Narad Networks is a privately held company with venture funding from Polaris Venture Partners, Argo Global Capital, and other leading venture capital firms. For more information, visit http://www.naradnetworks.com/.
Cablevision Systems Corp.


CONTACT: Jim Maiella for Cablevision, +1-516-803-3947, [email protected]; or Helen Chung of JLM Partners for Narad Networks,+1-206-381-3600, or [email protected]



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

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