Efficient Channel Coding and iPSTAR sign a Development and Supply Agreement for Advanced iPSTAR Gateway Modems

Cleveland, Ohio - February 6, 2003 - Efficient Channel Coding (ECC) has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to develop and supply carrier class gateway modems for the iPSTAR system. The advanced modems provide significant forward and return link capacity as well as being expandable to allow service providers the flexibility to grow as you go.

“ECC is excited about expanding on our existing relationship with Shin Satellite and we are especially excited about being an integral part of the world’s foremost high speed satellite system, iPSTAR. This commitment ensures that ECC’s cost effective and bandwidth efficient products will continue to help Shin Satellite maintain a competitive advantage for the foreseeable future”, says COO of ECC, Frank Schossler.

“This supply agreement represents the final step in the gateway procurement process, and ensures low cost, high quality and efficiency gateway transceivers, crucial to controlling costs in a system as large and powerful as iPSTAR,” says Mark Thompson, President of Codespace, LLC.

The supply agreement includes equipping 18 gateways located in target countries including Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in Q4 of 2003 and will be complete in early Q2 2004, just before commercial operations for iPSTAR-1 begin. The supply agreement augments the existing iPSTAR Gateway Modem orders. ECC also anticipates that as capacity requirements increase, service providers will place significant, additional orders above and beyond the current commitments

Efficient Channel Coding, Inc. (ECC) provides advanced physical layer electronic components, subsystems, and intellectual property. The company is dedicated to delivering high capacity solutions that offer scalability and significant cost reductions in today's advanced optical, wireless, and satellite networks. ECC technology is currently being used in wide range of networks embodied as Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Arrays, and Programmable Digital Signal Processors. ECC's key, patented IP enables these implementations with scalability to Gbps data rates. In addition to current product offerings, ECC is developing new, forward-looking products that offer standards-based integration and best-in-class performance in targeted markets. More information on ECC is available on the Internet at http://www.efficientchannelcoding.com.

Shin Satellite Public Company Limited is a satellite operator offering C-band and Ku-band services for clients in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. Shin Satellite owns and operates Thaicom 1A, 2 and 3. Thaicom 1A is situated 120 degrees east, while Thaicom 2 and 3 are both situated 78,5 degrees east with a total capacity of 49 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders and supplies more than 70 channels. Thaicom satellites offer broadcasting services largely in Indo-China and India but with customers extending from Europe to Australia. Shin Satellite is listed on the Thai Stock Exchange.

Codespace was formed in 1996 to design advanced broadband satellite systems. Codespace holds key patents in the field of broadband satellites and broadband systems communications which enable satellite system designs to achieve an unprecedented 40 Gbps capacity, supporting cost effective broadband service to millions of subscribers. In 1997, Codespace contracted with Shin Satellite of Thailand to design and oversee the build of a state-of-the-art Internet and video delivery platform now known as the “iPSTAR Asia” broadband system. The spacecraft, iPSTAR–1 is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2004 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. Codespace can be contacted at (541) 386-1924

iPSTAR Inc. is the owner of the iPSTAR Asia Broadband Satellite System, currently in operation in many Asian countries. Founded in 1999, iPSTAR is majority owned by Shin Satellite of Thailand and has contracted with Space Systems/Loral for the construction of the iPSTAR-1, the largest commercial communications satellite ever built. The satellite is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2004, greatly enhancing the iPSTAR system capacity, currently supported by the Thaicom 3 satellite.