Carrier Access Announces Shipment of New FLEXengine Technology in MAST

    Business Editors/Technology Editors
    CTIA Wireless 2005

    NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 14, 2005--Carrier Access Corporation (Nasdaq: CACS), a market leader in North American cell site access equipment, today announced that it has begun customer shipments and deployments of its FLEXengine(TM) next generation Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions. Today at the largest wireless industry trade show in North America, CTIA Wireless 2005, visitors to Carrier Access booth 3965 will see the FLEXengine technology and MASTERseries(TM) products on display. The new FLEXmaster8 T1/E1 Service Module is now generally available for the MASTERseries product line. Using the new FLEXengine software-definable technology, wireless operators can design packet-based Radio Access Networks that enable the transport of broadband data services, such as 2.5G and 3G, without significant additions to cell site operating or capital costs.
    FLEXengine software-definable access technology is designed for a progressive set of circuit, IP, ATM, and radio protocol compression functions, using a new advanced network processor and custom logic engine. Wireless operators will be able to load software libraries in the FLEXmaster8 that implement the appropriate access technologies needed to evolve their Radio Access Networks as bandwidth and service demands increase. IP Ethernet access and routing to cell sites, in addition to circuit overlay management, is being deployed in the release that is shipping now. Software downloads to FLEXengine replace traditional hardware changes or additions needed to implement IP QoS routing, ATM 3G access conversion, Ethernet access, GSM Abis compression, and digital cross connect circuit management. In addition to offering an encompassing range of networking software library functions planned for deployment throughout this year, FLEXmaster8 doubles the T1/E1 access capacity per card slot for the widely-deployed MASTERseries enclosures.
    Using FLEXengine technology, wireless operators will be able to deploy multiple, evolutionary, Radio Access Network technologies from a single, programmable, cell-site platform. The impact is to avoid spending millions of dollars to upgrade transport networks from cell sites to mobile switching centers, while providing optimal bandwidth and service availability for new mobile broadband data and video services. Carrier Access offers this next-generation technology for both new product shipments and as an upgrade to its installed base of over 50,000 cell sites within leading wireless service providers.
    Carrier Access will be showcasing this new FLEXengine technology in presentations at CTIA Wireless 2005, Booth Number 3965, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, March 14-16, 2005.

    About Carrier Access

    Carrier Access (Nasdaq:CACS) provides converged access technology designed to streamline the communication network operations within service provider, enterprise, and government markets. Carrier Access products enable customers to consolidate and upgrade access capacity for the implementation of converged voice, video, and data services at lower costs. Carrier Access' technologies help our customers do more with less. For more information, visit www.carrieraccess.com/3gsm05.

    Forward-Looking Caution

    This press release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management's best judgment based on factors currently known. However, these statements involve risks and uncertainties, including the successful development and market acceptance of new products, the ability to sell new products into new and existing customers, the degree of competition in the market for such products, and other risks detailed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the ear ended December 31, 3003. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements included in this press release.

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CONTACT: Carrier Access Audra Bailey, 303-218-5455 abailey@carrieraccess.com

KEYWORD: COLORADO LOUISIANA TRACK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE NETWORKING TRADESHOW PRODUCT SOURCE: Carrier Access

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