Louisville, Colorado, November 29, 2004—Key cable operators have teamed with CableLabs® to issue a request for proposal (RFP) that identifies a common set of product requirements for a CableHome®-based residential gateway (integrated cable modem and router/wireless access device). The deadline for responses is January 31, 2005.

CableLabs and its member companies are working to gather information about a residential gateway that will comply with CableHome 1.1 specifications. The gateway will enable the delivery of value-added services for home networking and high-speed data service subscribers, including but not limited to, services requiring quality of service (QoS) guarantees.

By providing a common set of technical requirements for a residential gateway, CableLabs anticipates that enough scale will be provided to enable suppliers to offer this product economically and in a timely manner.

Consistent with CableLabs� participation in the UPnP™ Forum Steering Committee, and with the adoption of UpnP functionality as part of the CableHome 1.1 specification requirements, the RFP includes requirements for residential gateways to implement discovery, prioritized QoS, and Network Address Translation configuration features as defined by UPnP standards.

�CableHome is one of the ways the cable industry continues to differentiate itself—by enabling seamless connectivity among multiple devices in the home, while also making the experience easy and intuitive for the consumer,� said Jeff Austin, Senior Director of New Product Deployments at Comcast Online, the high-speed Internet division of Comcast Cable. �The industry recognizes the importance of CableHome and its key role in positioning cable as the 'platform of choice for the connected home.' This industry-supported RFP is testament to this and comes at a key moment in the evolution of broadband service delivery,� Austin added.

�As cable moves into this new business, having a set of gateways that adhere to our unique requirements will facilitate innovation that will drive a new way of serving the cable consumer in their home,� said Mark Bell, Director of Product Development at Cox Communications.

About CableHome
CableLabs and the cable industry have developed the CableHome specification based on consumer research, which identified the need for an interoperable platform that would:

• Enable cable service providers to take care of the technology part of the home networking equation, giving customers the choice to simply focus on enjoying the experience.
• Help speed the development of advanced broadband applications and devices for the home.
• Ensure true seamless integration among these devices.

UPnP™ is a trademark of the UPnP™ Implementers Corp.

About CableLabs: Cable Television Laboratories (www.cablelabs.com) was founded in 1988 by members of the cable television industry. A non-profit research and development consortium, CableLabs is dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and to helping its cable operator members integrate those advancements into their business objectives. Cable operators from around the world are members. CableLabs maintains additional web sites at www.cablenet.org, www.ebif.tv and www.tru2way.com.

CableCARD™, CableHome®, CableLabs®, CableNET®, CablePC™, DCAS™, DOCSIS®, DPoE™, EBIF™, Go2BroadbandSM, M-Card™, OpenCable™, PacketCable™, PeerConnect™, and tru2way® are marks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.