UTStarcom Announces SOFTBANK TELECOM as First NetRing(TM) TN Customer

ALAMEDA, Calif., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI) announced that SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp. a wholly owned subsidiary of SOFTBANK Corp., will be the first customer to commercially deploy its NetRing(TM) Transport Network product portfolio (NetRing(TM) TN). NetRing(TM) TN includes new multiprotocol label switching - transport profile (MPLS-TP) solutions designed to overhaul existing mobile backhaul networks, provide Ethernet services and deliver broadband aggregation applications.

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"Our recent announcement of the expanded TN portfolio highlighted our new offerings and we're delighted to have SOFTBANK TELECOM as our first customer deployment," said Peter Blackmore, CEO and president of UTStarcom. "In addition to aiding network efficiency, our TN portfolio will help SOFTBANK TELECOM realize revenue generating opportunities in Japan."

SOFTBANK TELECOM will use UTStarcom's NetRing(TM) TN products to help realize significant operating expense savings by offering a power efficient and space-optimized design with enhanced operation and maintenance capabilities. The NetRing(TM) TN solution also includes a powerful service-oriented network management that will enable SOFTBANK TELECOM to create new services rapidly.

"We are migrating to a network solution which unifies enterprise, consumer and mobile networks, with the aim of realizing the efficient utilization of the network and a reduction in operating costs," said Junichi Miyakawa, executive vice president, director of SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp. "We have confidence that the introduction of UTStarcom's NetRing TN series will enable us to meet those goals, being an effective solution for responding flexibly to a diverse range of new business needs and thus greatly contributing to the further expansion of the SOFTBANK Group's business and an increase in our profitability."

Specifically, SOFTBANK TELECOM will use UTStarcom's NetRing(TM) TN platform to migrate its existing aggregation network from legacy Synchronous digital hierarchy/ asynchronous transfer mode (SDH/ATM) to a packet based network for the delivery of high-speed services. This will enable SOFTBANK TELECOM to offer new Ethernet-based Enterprise services - in addition to high-speed broadband, voice, video services - in the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya regions.

For more information about the NetRing(TM) TN solutions portfolio, please visit http://www.utstar.com/Products/Optical_Transport_Networks/MPLS-TP/.

About SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp.
SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp., who as part of the SOFTBANK Group are targeting fixed communications and network services for corporations, are presenting a unified Corporate ICT solution that exploits to a maximum the group synergy between SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. and SOFTBANK BB Corp. in order to not only provide and operate a stable infrastructure as a carrier, but also with the objective of improving the productivity of their customers and contributing to business improvement.

About UTStarcom, Inc.
UTStarcom is a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and international service and support. The company sells its solutions to operators in both emerging and established telecommunications markets around the world. UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient, end-to-end IP networks. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Alameda, California. For more information about UTStarcom, visit the company's Web site at http://www.utstar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding UTStarcom's future strategy, including statements regarding the company's transport network product portfolios. These statements are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements include: risks associated with delays in product development or customer acceptance and implementation of new products and technologies; economic issues in the identified geographic markets; and changes in government regulation and licensing requirements. Please also refer to UTStarcom's periodic reports that are filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange commission, including our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. UTStarcom assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update these forward-looking statements.