Texas Lone Star Network Members Complete 500-Mile Test of IP Video Using AFC's TelcoVideo Solution

Texas Lone Star Network Members Complete 500-Mile Test of IP
Video Using AFC's TelcoVideo Solution
'Everything worked great, and there was no loss of video quality or jitter.'



PETALUMA, Calif., June 1  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AFC(R) (NASDAQ:AFCI), The
Acronym for Access(SM), today announced that members of the Texas Lone Star
Network (TLSN), a statewide consortia owned by 38 independent operating
companies (IOCs) and telephone cooperatives, have successfully completed a
500-mile test deployment of IP video using AFC's TelcoVideo(SM) solution.

The trial involved a TLSN-managed fiber link between the video headend at Cap
Rock Telephone Cooperative's central office in Spur, Texas and ETEX Telephone
Cooperative's headquarters in Gilmer, Texas. Both IOCs deployed AFC's
Telliant(TM) multiservice central office platform to provide Layer 3 Internet
group management protocol (IGMP) functionality and transport.

The route between these two points also passed through other TLSN-member
operating territories, including Santa Rosa Telephone, Comcell Telephone,
Nortex Communications, and TXU Electric's Communications division.

"The goal of this trial was to demonstrate the feasibility of transporting
digital IP video signals long distances over a fiber SONET ring with electrical
handoff to local coaxial, copper, or fiber-to-the-home facilities," said Barak
Harlan, lead engineer and project coordinator at Cap Rock. "The video trial
(from January 30 to March 15, 2004) proved that it could be done. Everything
worked great, and there was no loss of video quality or jitter."

At the other end of the 500-mile fiber test link, AFC's Telliant delivered
video via ADSL to an IP set-top box at ETEX Telephone Cooperative's Pine Acres
exchange in Gilmer.

According to John Schofield, chairman, president and CEO of AFC, "This trial
provides further evidence of Telliant's ability to deliver exceptional IP video
channel multicasting and distribution performance across large networks
spanning hundreds of miles. With our proven TelcoVideo solution, carriers can
be confident that they can realize compatibility, reliability, and operational
efficiency based on positive field results such as this."

While many members of the Texas Lone Star Network already offer analog video
services to their subscribers, TLSN management wants to be in a position to
resell digital IP video programming and transport from a single regional
headend to everyone in the network, as well as to neighboring IOCs and
cooperatives throughout the state, and as far away as Kansas.

"Digital video is simply a better product. It enables our 38 IOCs and
cooperatives -- with their combined total of more than 400,000 subscribers --
to compete with non-member cable companies currently offering only analog
video, as well as with satellite TV providers who do not offer local
programming, except at an additional cost or on a limited basis," commented
Richard Adams, senior manager with TLSN.

"We know the demand is there. The success of this trial also gives us the
comfort level of knowing that such a long-haul IP video network is definitely
doable," commented Charlie Cano, engineering manager at ETEX Telephone
Cooperative. "The next step is to examine the business case for delivering IP
video to all interested parties and determine a cost-effective pricing
structure that will make it affordable. We will need a commitment from other
TLSN members to move forward with statewide implementation, leasing agreements,
and contracts with content providers."

About AFC

Headquartered in Petaluma, Calif., AFC is a leading provider of broadband
access solutions for the global telecommunications industry. With a customer
base of more than 800 service providers worldwide, AFC continues to build and
support the world's evolving broadband access network architecture. Advanced
Fibre Communications, Inc., AFC, the AFC logo, and DISC*S are registered
trademarks of Advanced Fibre Communications, Inc. Telliant is a trademark, and
The Acronym for Access and TelcoVideo are service marks of Advanced Fibre
Communications, Inc. Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. Any other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners. For more information, please visit
AFC online at http://www.afc.com/ or call 1-800-690-AFCI.

Except for historical information contained in this press release, the
foregoing contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. Rapidly changing technologies and market conditions may require
changes to our products. Actual results may differ materially from those
indicated by such forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and
uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties relating to the timely and
successful development, and market acceptance of AFC's new products and
features, customer demand for broadband services, and the potential for
business disruption and other risks associated with AFC's pending merger with
Tellabs, Inc. Information about potential factors that could affect AFC's
financial results is included in AFC's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. We undertake no obligation to revise or update these
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after today or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 

DATASOURCE: AFC



CONTACT:  Chris Heinemann of AFC, [phone] or





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

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