IRVINE, Calif., June 6, 2005 - Aktino, the first company to implement MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) techniques on DMT (Discrete Multi Tone)-based copper access platforms, today publicly announced its AK4000 product family. The AK4000 enables true 10 to 25 Mbps business-class Ethernet services and guarantees ubiquity of those services over the entire Carrier Serving Area (CSA - 12,000 feet over 24-gauge wire).

The Aktino AK4000 product family, an Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) solution, is the industry's first cost-effective and operationally feasible business broadband solution that bridges a critical service gap. That is the gap between high-bandwidth, high-margin Ethernet over fiber services and low-bandwidth DS1 or Ethernet over DS1 HDSL-based solutions. The AK4000 family is GA (generally available) and shipping to service providers throughout North America.

"There is clearly a demand for flexible Ethernet services from enterprises. To date, telcos have responded with several Metro Ethernet offerings for large enterprises. However, this has been mostly limited to locations that have access to fiber. Now the challenge is to offer ubiquitous Ethernet services to all customers and locations, whether served by fiber or copper," commented Ron Westfall, broadband infrastructure principal analyst for Current Analysis. "Aktino's MIMO on DMT technology enables Metro Ethernet service providers to provide a compelling value proposition to copper served customers - who are currently limited to multiples of 1.5 Mbps - with an upgrade option to a 10 Mbps or higher offering."

The AK4000 product family is built with the same core technology - MIMO on DMT - as Aktino's recently announced AK3000 product family. By applying MIMO techniques to a DMT-based platform, it enables the AK4000 to mitigate cross-talk interference and transport greater Ethernet bandwidth over longer distances on fewer pairs than any other currently available technology.

The AK4000 product family is designed to extend Metro Ethernet services to the profitable and underserved small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market segment. The platforms can transport a symmetrical 10 Mbps Ethernet service on four copper pairs or a symmetrical 25 Mbps Ethernet service on eight pairs - with a binder full of disturbers - throughout the CSA (12,000 feet over 24-gauge wire). The platform is environmentally hardened for any deployment scenario, and can be line powered on the same pairs that transport the Ethernet traffic.

The AK4000 meets all T1.417 spectral requirements, even at high bandwidth levels and extended distances. It can be seamlessly integrated into existing service provider copper access networks and future Fiber to the Node network architectures. Since the platform is built with the most widely deployed DSL technology, DMT, its services do not interfere with existing DMT-based ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL and future VDSL2 services. The AK4000 is designed to complement and co-exist with service providers' ever-increasing DMT investments in the local loop, unlike systems that use echo cancelled approaches such as HDSL and G.SHDSL.

"With the growing demand for Ethernet from business customers, service providers have been actively searching for a solution to cost-effectively bridge the gap between Ethernet on fiber services and Ethernet over legacy DS1 services," said Bruce Kimble, president and CEO of Aktino. "The Aktino AK4000 Ethernet over Copper solution bridges this gap. Since the AK4000 delivers two to five times the bandwidth per pair compared to legacy solutions, it needs fewer pairs to each location to deliver services. That significantly increases the size of a telco's serviceable footprint and its potential market."

About Aktino
Aktino designs and delivers innovative carrier-class long reach broadband over copper solutions that enable service providers to offer revenue generating business-class broadband services over existing copper loops. A pioneer in the use of MIMO techniques on industry standard DMT-based copper access platforms, Aktino's products allow service providers to deliver ubiquitous business-class broadband services to the entire CSA footprint without further infrastructure investments. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Irvine, California, Aktino is currently shipping products to service providers throughout the world. For more information, visit www.aktino.com