Cable Modem Pioneer Now Spearheads Video, Data and Voice Integration

Louisville, Colorado, January 17, 2000—The Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs®), Board of Directors has broadened the scope of duties for Rouzbeh Yassini, an executive advisor for CableLabs who has led the industry�s pivotal DOCSIS high-speed cable modem initiative for the past three years.

Yassini will continue as an executive advisor to CableLabs focusing his attention on the convergence of video, data and voice networks. He also will harmonize product certification activities across OpenCable™, PacketCable™, and DOCSIS programs focusing on the strategic and tactical processes for interoperability and conformance. Additionally, Yassini now will advise OpenCable and PacketCable in the development of their certification processes, including interoperability and evaluation efforts, as specifications are completed and product conformance assumes critical importance.

"Rouzbeh has achieved remarkable success in coordinating the DOCSIS certification effort, a process that has assured the interoperability of high-speed cable modems now being deployed by cable operators across North America," says Brian L. Roberts, chairman of the CableLabs Board of Directors and President of Comcast Corporation.

In his new role, which is of critical importance to the cable industry, Yassini will direct an initiative on network convergence issues across the cable industry�s key projects: OpenCable™, PacketCable™, and CableLabs® Certified™ Modems. "The seamless convergence of video, data, and voice networks will require uniform implementation of provisioning, security, IP address assignment, network management and billing systems," said Tony Werner, AT&T Broadband & Internet Services� Executive Vice President of Engineering & Technical Operations, CTO, and a key executive involved in projects at CableLabs. "This initiative is of paramount importance to the cable industry to assure its competitive future," he added.

Said Dr. Richard R. Green, president and CEO of CableLabs: "We want Rouzbeh to look out in time and help our industry achieve network integration across video, data, and voice service offerings. We also want to continue to incorporate his tremendous vision and energy in our certification initiatives as we move into that phase of our other interoperability projects." Green added: "The cable industry and CableLabs owe a great deal to Rouzbeh for the success we have achieved in the availability of the first retail cable modem and the creation of the CableLabs certification process."

In his new role, Yassini will coordinate the convergence of voice, data, and video, working directly with Don Dulchinos, CableLabs� senior director of OpenCable™ David Bukovinsky, vice president of Broadband Services; Ed Miller, director of PacketCable™ David Reed, senior vice president of Strategic Planning; and Dr. Terry Shaw, senior advisor, Network Systems, In-Home Networking.

As part of his expanded role with CableLabs, Yassini will continue his well-established relationships with networking, consumer electronics, computer, and telecommunications manufacturers for both certification and network convergence projects. "Rouzbeh has fostered great relationships with the supplying community and his continued work on this convergence area will help all of us to reduce even further the time it takes to get new products and technologies to market," said Jim McDonald, CEO of Scientific Atlanta.

Yassini is widely known as "father of the cable modem" and founder of LANcity Corporation, the first cable modem manufacturer. He was selected CED�s 1998 Man of the Year for serving as point man on cable modem certification testing and for his commitment to interoperable modems. Under his leadership, CableLabs was able to create cable modem specifications, attain international standards, and deploy the first retail cable modem in approximately three years. In 1997, Yassini founded YAS Corporation and serves as chairman and CEO of this Andover, MA, venture capital and consulting firm devoted to the rapid deployment of broadband technologies.

OpenCable seeks interoperable digital set-top boxes and other advanced digital devices manufactured by multiple vendors. These devices could be sold at retail and would be capable of delivering digital video, data and interactive services to a television set. PacketCable has developed interoperable interface specifications for delivering advanced, real-time multimedia services over two-way cable plant. It uses the industry�s highly successful cable modem infrastructure and Internet protocol (IP) technology to enable a wide range of multimedia services, such as IP telephony, multimedia conferencing, interactive gaming, and general multimedia applications. DOCSIS, (Data over Cable Service Interface Specification) seeks interoperable high-speed always-connected cable modems that may be sold or leased to consumers.

YAS Corporation provides broadband venture financing and consulting services. Customers include startup entrepreneurs, cable MSOs, telephone companies, Internet service providers, systems integrators and other consultancies. YAS Corporation�s two distinct operating divisions—AVCfinancing and CEOconsulting—are jointly dedicated to rapid deployment of advanced technologies and services that leverage the Internet and HFC broadband infrastructures. For more information about YAS Corporation, please visit www.yas.com.

About CableLabs: Cable Television Laboratories (www.cablelabs.com) was founded in 1988 by members of the cable television industry. A non-profit research and development consortium, CableLabs delivers innovations that enable cable operators to be the providers of choice in their markets. Cable operators from around the world are members. CableLabs maintains additional web sites at www.cablenet.org.

CableLabs® is a registered trademark of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. Other CableLabs marks are listed at http://www.cablelabs.com/certqual/trademarks. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.