i-CABLE Selects Cisco Set-Top Boxes

i-CABLE Selects Cisco Set-Top Boxes and Highly Secure End-to-End Video Solution to Combat TV Piracy; Network Evolving Into a Medianet, a Platform Optimized for Rich Media Applications and Services

HONG KONG — Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced today that i-CABLE Communications (Hong Kong:1097) is deploying Cisco’s highly secure set-top boxes and end-to-end video solution to resolve pirated viewing of its television services. i-CABLE started the set-top box and video network replacement project for subscribers in February 2009 and expects to complete it by end of this year. The Cisco video solution also paves the way for the i-CABLE network to evolve into a medianet, a platform optimized to support media-rich, interactive applications and new services.

Pirated TV viewing remains a serious problem for the pay-TV industry, as well as for society as a whole, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue and jeopardizing the reputation and development of Hong Kong in areas of copyright and innovation. With the introduction of the Cisco PowerKEY® System, digital headend system and set-top boxes, i-CABLE will be able to deliver highly secure and top-quality TV services. This network evolution will help bring to an end piracy via illegal TV decoders, thereby slashing revenue losses and helping protect Hong Kong’s reputation.

“i-CABLE has always been a major force in fighting the battle of pirated TV viewing, which is detrimental to the pay-TV industry and to society as a whole. The deployment of Cisco set-top boxes and the end-to-end solution demonstrates our commitment to resolving this problem and to building a future-proof network infrastructure to transform the consumer experience by enabling new applications,” said Mr. Benjamin Tong, Executive Director of i-CABLE. “Cisco’s proven track record in providing cutting-edge, highly secure technology to the industry gives us confidence that not only can the current issue be resolved, but we will also be well positioned and prepared to meet our future needs in offering our customers rich media services and applications.”

Cisco is providing set-top boxes as part of its end-to-end video solution that offers i-CABLE a robust, reliable infrastruture and delivers a differentiated experience to its customers. The Cisco solution consists of the Model D-PCG1000™ PowerKEY Conditional Access System (CAS) Gateway, a digital headend system incorporating the Continuum DVP™ SI-Server™ MKV, ROSA Copernicus Network Management Server (NMS), Model D9630 Advanced QAM Modulators and DCM Digital Content Manager, and the Cisco’s Z368DVB Standard-definition (SD) set-top series, which includes options for both digital cable and MMDS/satellite.

Today’s announcement highlights Cisco’s dedication to transforming the network into a medianet. In addition to enabling pay-TV service providers to deliver top-quality video content, Cisco medianet technologies provide a highly extensible platform that allows innovative, personalized and interactive TV applications. These include time-shifted television, which gives customers the flexibility to watch their favorite programs on their own schedules, three-screen capability that delivers television content to TVs, PCs and smartphones, video-on-demand, Internet browsing, e-mail and chat.

“We are excited to collaborate with i-CABLE and provide it with our highly secure end-to-end solution. This deployment testifies to our vision of transforming service providers into experience providers and demonstrates the efficacy of the medianet. We are also delighted that we have been able to bring our global expertise and proven products like our highly secure set-top box to help address a problem that hinders the growth of the pay-TV industry,” said Mr. Ben Wu, general manager of Media and Video Business, Cisco China.