FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

See the Light at 850 nm FOLS Sponsors 100BASE-SX Interoperability Demonstration at BICSIt

April 19, 2001 -- The Fiber Optics LAN Section (FOLS) of the Telecommunications Industry Association is holding an interoperability demonstration of the pending 100BASE-SX standard at its booth at the spring BICSI conference, held May 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. The new standard supports Fast Ethernet using 850 nm wavelength optics, providing users a simple, clear and inexpensive upgrade path from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps. More information about the BICSI conference is available at www.bicsi.org.

The fully interoperable demo features products from Transition Networks, Sun Conversion Technologies, IMC Networks, Allied Telesyn International, GarrettCom, Inc., Tyco Electronics, Lucent Technologies and 3M/Volition as well as a silicon solution from Micro Linear. Included in the demonstration will be NICs and media converters using small form factor connectors. The demonstration is conducted over a full 300 meter multimode cable, as specified in the standard.

The 100BASE-SX standard:

• Operates over a minimum distance of 300 m (full duplex)
• Allows for the creation of 10/100 Mbps fiber devices that are interoperable with 10BASE-FL
• Minimizes expense of electronics
• Utilizes cost-effective LED devices
• Is connector independent
• Lays the foundation for an easy upgrade path to 100 Mbps
• Supports operation over 62.5 and 50 mm multimode fiber

Additionally, the standard will create a specification for auto-negotiation with current 850 nm Ethernet devices. In this area the standard:

• Auto-negotiates between 10 and 100 Mbps operation
• Minimizes the cost of upgrading from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps
• Parallel detects 10 and 100 Mbps non-negotiating devices
• Supports full duplex operating modes

"We believe strongly that giving users a cost-effective migration path to Fast Ethernet at 850 nm will help spur the use of fiber in the horizontal," said Dan Silver, Chair of the FOLS. He added that the 100BASE-SX standard should be viewed in conjunction with other advances that are making optical fiber a more viable solution for the horizontal. "Centralized cabling, the use of media converters, and the rapid adoption of small form factor connectors are also increasing the use of fiber in the horizontal," he said.

For a copy of our white paper, "100BASE-SX Fast Ethernet: A Cost-Effective Migration Path for Fiber in the Horizontal" or other information on the benefits of deploying fiber in the horizontal, please contact the FOLS at www.fols.org.

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The Fiber Optic LAN Section (FOLS) of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is a consortium of leading fiber optic cable, component and electronics manufacturers. The FOLS focuses on educating end users and influencers about the technical advantages and affordability that optical transmission brings to local area networks and fiber-to-the-desk applications. Member companies of the FOLS include 3M/Volition, AMP NETCONNECT, Allied Telesyn, Aura Networks, Berk-Tek, Belden Wire & Cable, CommScope Inc., Corning, Corning Cable Systems, Leviton Voice & Data, GarrettCom, Inc., Lucent Technologies, Micro Linear, Panduit, Ortronics, The Siemon Company, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Sun Conversion Technologies, and Transition Networks.

TIA is the leading trade association servicing the communications and information technology industry, with proven strengths in market development, trade shows, domestic and international advocacy, standards development and enabling e-business. Through its worldwide activities, the association facilitates business development opportunities and a competitive market environment. The association provides a market-focused forum for its more than 1,100 member companies that manufacture or supply the products and services used in global communications. TIA represents the communications sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). Visit TIA online at http://www.tiaonline.org.

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Note: The opinions expressed in this release are those of the Fiber Optics LAN Section of the Telecommunications Industry Association and are not necessarily those of the entire TIA membership.