Belgacom Deploys Ikanos Chipsets to Expand Interactive TV Services

Belgacom Deploys Ikanos Chipsets to Expand Interactive TV Services

Ikanos Chipsets Enable Multi-Stream TV Offering

FREMONT, Calif., March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ikanos Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKAN), a leading developer and provider of Fiber Fast(TM) broadband solutions, today announced that Belgacom, one of the largest telecommunications providers in Europe, has begun deploying Ikanos-based equipment in order to offer interactive broadband services over VDSL. Utilizing equipment powered by Ikanos' CleverConnect(R) 600 and SmartLeap(R) 8100 products, Belgacom is offering new, high-bandwidth interactive TV services including on-demand TV programs and digital video recording.

"Belgacom has been among the first and most innovative carriers in Europe when it comes to offering our subscribers the most advanced telecommunications services," said a spokesperson from Belgacom. "The Ikanos-based VDSL technology allows us to expand our current interactive services offering by enabling multi-stream television concurrent with high-speed broadband Internet access, which is an important customer requirement."

Interactive TV services are achieving rapid customer acceptance, and provide carriers with the opportunity to increase service revenues. According to In-Stat, revenues from direct-to-home pay TV services will rise from $46 billion in 2005 to $80 billion in 2009, and the number of worldwide subscribers will reach 100 million by 2008.

"We are pleased that Belgacom has selected Ikanos-based equipment to power their advanced interactive services," said Dean Grumlose, vice president of marketing at Ikanos Communications. "We believe carriers worldwide will continue responding to rising consumer demand for triple play services, and select VDSL as the fastest and most cost-effective way to deliver compelling broadband applications."

The Ikanos CleverConnect 600 chipset is a single-port solution configurable for VDSL2 and VDSL customer premises applications, while the SmartLeap 8100 chipset is an eight-port solution configurable for VDSL2 and VDSL DSLAM applications. The chipsets are designed to offer up to 30 Mbps symmetrical bandwidth, or up to 60 Mbps downstream and 30 Mbps upstream, enabling delivery of a wide range of new carrier service offerings.

About Belgacom S.A.

Belgacom S.A. (Euronext Brussels: BELG) is a major telecommunications company in Belgium and a market leader in many fields, notably in wholesale and retail fixed-line services, mobile communications and Internet and broadband data transmission services. At the end of fiscal year on 31 December 2004, the Group posted total revenue of EUR 5.540 billion and a new operating profit before depreciation and amortization (and before non- recurrent items) of EUR 2.394 billion.

About Ikanos Communications

Ikanos Communications, Inc. develops chipsets that enable carriers to offer Fiber Fast(TM) bandwidth and high-speed network processing for enhanced triple-play services. Supporting transmission rates up to 100 Mbps, Ikanos' complete line of end-to-end silicon solutions power line terminals, CPE modems, and residential gateways for most of the world's largest network equipment manufacturers. With its field-proven solutions, Ikanos enables fast and cost-effective carrier rollouts of interactive broadband services including IPTV. For more information, please visit www.ikanos.com.

NOTE: Ikanos Communications, Ikanos, the Ikanos logo, SmartLeap, CleverConnect, Eagle, Fusiv, Ikanos Programmable Operating System, Fx, FxS, VLR and Fiber Fast are among the trademarks or registered trademarks of Ikanos.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to the expected successful market acceptance and performance of Ikanos-based solutions as well as expected benefits to carriers delivering interactive services. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of assumptions, uncertainties and risks, including the development of the Fiber Fast broadband market generally, competition within the Fiber Fast broadband market and competition from other technologies. Forward-looking statements cannot be relied on as predictions of future events. We cannot assure that the events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, nor do we undertake any obligation to update any forward- looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release.

Source: Ikanos Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: Susan Lehman of Story Communications, +1-510-832-6006, or
susan@storypr.com, for Ikanos Communications; or Kimberly Anderson of Ikanos
Communications, +1-510-438-6276, or kanderson@ikanos.com

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

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