SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Feb. 28, 2011 -- Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that U.S. cable operator Midcontinent Communications has deployed Harmonic's Narrowcast Services Gateway(TM) (NSG) 9000 universal edgeQAM for its new DOCSIS 3.0-based service. Harmonic's edgeQAM technology provides the flexibility, scalability, and output density to enable Midcontinent Communications to bring faster internet speeds -- up to 50 Mbps -- to its residential and business customers in North and South Dakota and Minnesota.
"We continue to rely on Harmonic's advanced technology to help us ensure our customers have the best Internet and video experience," said Tom Heier, corporate engineering manager at Midcontinent Communications. "Adding DOCSIS 3.0 technology strengthened our network, and in implementing the technology we found Harmonic to be a strong partner. Harmonic's high-density edgeQAM delivers reliable and flexible edge processing at a reasonable price point, which was essential for our DOCSIS 3.0 implementation."
Harmonic's NSG 9000 comes with a Mass Configuration Tool (MCT) that Midcontinent Communications used to facilitate and simplify the simultaneous configuration of multiple NSG 9000 systems. MCT also enables Midcontinent Communications to perform easily firmware upgrades and remote configuration as well as backup and restoration for multiple devices.
"As a long-term solution provider to Midcontinent Communications, Harmonic understands the company's evolving needs and we congratulate Midcontinent Communications on being the first top-25 U.S. MSO to fully deploy DOCSIS 3.0," said Geoff Stedman, vice president of corporate marketing at Harmonic. "The NSG 9000 reduces capital and operating expenses for Midcontinent through its flexible, modular design and low power consumption, while delivering reliable edge processing for the company's expanded high-speed data services."
Harmonic's NSG 9000 universal edgeQAM is a highly integrated digital video gateway that multiplexes on-demand content streamed over the IP network. Housed in a modular, 2-RU chassis, the NSG 9000 can perform PID filtering, multiplexing, scrambling, QAM modulation, and RF upconversion. Harmonic's family of edgeQAM solutions includes the new NSG 9000 HectoQAM(TM), which can scale up to 648 QAMs in 2-RU and incorporates new technologies that significantly improve efficiency and ease of operation, setting new benchmarks in density and flexibility.
Harmonic leads the industry in edgeQAM deployments with more than one million QAMs shipped to cable service providers worldwide. Harmonic's edgeQAM technology powers video-on-demand (VOD), broadcast, switched digital video (SDV), modular cable modem termination system (M-CMTS), and cable IPTV services that serve more than 50 million cable TV subscribers around the world.
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About Midcontinent Communications
Midcontinent Communications is the upper Midwest's leading provider of cable television, local and long distance telephone service, broadband Internet access, and cable advertising services. Their service area includes more than 240 communities with approximately 250,000 customers in North and South Dakota and in Minnesota.
About Harmonic Inc.
Harmonic Inc. offers a comprehensive, innovative, and market-leading portfolio of video infrastructure solutions, spanning content production to multiscreen video delivery. Harmonic customers can efficiently create, prepare, and deliver differentiated video services over broadcast, cable, Internet, mobile, satellite, and telecom networks, while simplifying end-to-end asset management, reducing costs, and streamlining workflows.
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with R&D, sales, and system integration centers worldwide. The company's customers--including each of the top 20 Fortune 2000 media companies -- choose Harmonic to enable their high-quality video services delivered to consumers in virtually every country. More information about Harmonic is available at www.harmonicinc.com.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27(A) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21(E) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements related to: reducing capital and operating expenses; and delivering reliable edge processing and faster internet speeds.
Our expectations and beliefs regarding the capabilities of Harmonic's Narrowcast Services Gateway(TM) (NSG) 9000 and the anticipated benefits for Midcontinent Communications may not materialize, and actual results could differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in Harmonic's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its recent Reports filed on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Harmonic does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.
EDITOR'S NOTE - Product and company names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
