ENGINEERING

SANTA CLARA, CA -- NEC Corporation (NEC) (Nasdaq: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) (TSE: 6701) and it semiconductor affiliates in the United States, NEC Electronics Inc., and Europe, NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH today announced the release of a new Ethernet controller which will substantially lift the data transfer capability in routers, LAN switches, and other network equipment. Sample shipments will start immediately. The uPD98433 incorporates a 3-speed (10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 1 Gbps)Ethernet MAC function compliant with international standards, an industry-leading 8 ports, and assures no data loss when transmitting/receiving, even when all 8 ports are connected to a gigabit Ethernet, through the employment of a 128-bit x 125 MHz (= 16 Gbps) high-speed bus interface for transmission and reception to and from the upper layer processor. To meet the huge increase in demand for communications created by the widespread use of the Internet and the large numbers of new broadband subscribers, the LAN technology Ethernet, popular due to its low cost and high-speed, long-distance/wide-area data transfer capabilities, is being widely promoted as the basic technology of the WAN and access network infrastructures. The wide range of network systems being created using Ethernet includes high-end routers with multiple gigabit Ethernet ports for backbone networks capable of 10 Gbps-class data transfer, high-capacity WDM systems created by multiplexing multiple gigabit Ethernet signals, and Ethernet-based FTTx systems that use multi-port gigabit Ethernet switches in the top layer of a layered network. The new uPD98433 can now be added to the lineup of dedicated Ethernet chips (ASSPs: Application Specific Standard Products) being developed by NEC in response to these Ethernet market demands, a lineup that already includes a high-speed address search engine, the uPD98421 (currently in mass production), and an 8-port 10/100 Mbps Ethernet controller, the uPD98431. Targeting network applications (LAN switches, routers, multiplexing devices for metropolitan networks), NEC's future plans include development of a function-expanded version of the uPD98433 and a product that supports 10 gigabit Ethernet. The company press release stated, “With its superior lineup and technology, NEC is in a position to offer a total solution in the network field and will do whatever it takes to satisfy the needs of all network customers.” For more information visit www.nec.com