Integral Access PurePacketNode Achieves NEBS Level 3 Certification

IP/MPLS-Based Multi-Service Access System Receives Highest Level of Compliance with Public Network Equipment Standard

Chelmsford, MA - May 22, 2001 - Integral Access, Inc., the intelligent MPLS access company -- today announced that the PurePacketNode™ has received the coveted Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) Level 3 certification for performance, safety and reliability. NEBS Level 3 is the US standard by which telecom equipment is accepted into a central office. The PurePacketNode, Integral Access' multi-service access gateway for carrier networks, conforms to the stringent NEBS requirements for use by regional operating companies, inter-exchange carriers, and new generation service providers such as Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and Application Service Providers (ASPs). Integral Access will demonstrate the PurePacket system at SUPERCOMM 2001 in Atlanta, June 5 through 7, at booth 413.

"NEBS Level 3 compliance is the most exacting and highest measure of "carrier grade" certification for public network equipment," said Jack Cicon, president and CEO, Integral Access. "Achieving this certification is a major milestone for Integral Access, and assures service providers that the PurePacket system will operate reliably and efficiently in the most demanding network environments."

National Technical Systems (NTS) Corporation, and Curtis-Straus LLC, two Nationally Recognized Test Laboratories (NRTL), certified the PurePacketNode's compliance with the NEBS standard. NEBS is a comprehensive set of specifications for network facilities located equipment, originally developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1970s, and expanded by Bellcore (now Telcordia Technologies). To receive NEBS certification, products must pass a suite of tests ensuring that they will: operate reliably and be serviceable; not negatively affect other service providing equipment; operate properly in adverse environmental conditions; and not cause harm to the environment or personnel.

PurePacket Overview

The PurePacket™ integrated access system enables carriers to deliver all services over a single network using virtually any transport media including copper pairs, xDSL, leased lines, and Fiber links. It is the first and only 100 percent packet-based solution that uses an MPLS-based fabric to place network intelligence at the customer premise, and make connectionless networks behave like their connection-oriented predecessors. PurePacket enables service providers to guarantee quality of service for latency sensitive voice calls and video transmissions, dynamically allocate bandwidth between voice, video and data applications, and offer and bill for multiple classes of service. PurePacket is composed of PurePacketOUTburst ® customer premise IADs (Integrated Access Devices), PurePacketNode carrier network aggregation devices for central offices, co-locations, points of presence, multi-dwelling/multi-tenant units (MDU/MTU), and the PurePacketOMS™ (Operations Management System) for network/element control and services management.

About Integral Access

Integral Access, Inc. provides multi-service packet-based access systems that enable carriers to offer differentiated services and combine voice/data on new generation IP-based networks as well as traditional circuit switched infrastructures. The company offers a complete
MPLS-based access network solution, which includes customer premise equipment, central office aggregation devices, and an operations management system for network control and services management. Integral Access is based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts and is privately held. To contact Integral Access call +1-978-256-8833, visit us on the Web at http://www.integralaccess.com, or write to info@integralaccess.com.

Note to editors: PurePacket and PurePacketNode are trademarks of Integral Access, Inc. PurePacketOUTburst , the Integral Access logo, and Integral Access are registered trademarks of Integral Access, Inc.