Scientific-Atlanta To Supply Interactive Digital Video Equipment for Cox Communications in Three Major U.S. Cable Systems

Scientific-Atlanta to be primary digital network and set-top supplier for Oklahoma City, Phoenix and San Diego for the next three years

ATLANTA, - Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (NYSE: SFA) announced today it has been selected by Cox Communications, Inc. (NYSE: COX) as the primary digital video equipment supplier for Cox's Oklahoma City, Okla.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and San Diego, Ca., systems for the next three years. Cox is one of the top five cable operators in the U.S.

These cities comprise some of the largest metro systems in the United States: The Phoenix system is Cox's largest metro cable system with 580,500 customers and the fourth largest cable system in the U.S.; the San Diego system serves 486,000 customers and is the sixth largest cable system in the U.S.; and the Oklahoma City system serves 121,000 customers .

Scientific-Atlanta will provide its Explorer(R) 2000 advanced digital set- tops and interactive network components that are well suited for large, clustered cable systems.

"Cox Digital TV(R) provides consumers with the best in entertainment selection and quality," said Alex Best, Cox's senior vice president, engineering. "We have chosen Scientific-Atlanta as our primary supplier of digital set-tops and network equipment for these markets because they offer the best solution to leverage our two-way clustered systems."

"Cox continues to launch digital services in its largest metro systems, and Phoenix is the largest of them all," said Allen Ecker, president of Scientific-Atlanta's Subscriber Networks sector. "Along with the San Diego and Oklahoma City systems, Scientific-Atlanta continues to provide Cox with the networks and set-tops necessary to make digital interactive services a reality."

Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer 2000 set-top and interactive network

Technical Background

Scientific-Atlanta's interactive network and Explorer 2000 advanced digital set-tops support the widest variety of digital interactive services in the industry. In addition to digital television services, the system will support the following applications when they become available: E-mail and Web browsing; E-commerce and home shopping; and true video-on-demand, in which consumers gain immediate access to a library of movies and use rewind, fast forward, and pause features at any time during the video event.

The Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 2000 advanced digital set-top and interactive network has high-throughput, two-way communications and sufficient processing power, memory and graphics to enable a variety of two-way, interactive applications for consumers, including Internet access, video-on- demand, E-commerce and IP-based applications.

Features of the Explorer 2000 set-top and interactive network include the following:

  • Instantaneous, two-way communications based on Internet Protocol
  • The most powerful, high-speed RISC processor presently available in the cable set-top industry
  • Based on OpenCable(TM) specifications (ensures system meets industry standards)
  • Ethernet 10BaseT and universal serial bus (USB) interface (supportshook up to the PC, printers, and other peripherals)
  • PowerTV(R) Operating System
  • Multiple middleware choices including HTML, JavaScript and PersonalJava(TM) (for application development)
  • PowerKEY(TM) Security System (for E-commerce)
  • Smartcard slot (for added security and electronic commerce transactions)
  • Eagle(TM) multimedia technology (for high resolution, photo-realistic graphics)
  • Dolby AC3 digital audio

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Cox Communications, Inc. is among the nation's largest broadband communications companies, serving more than 3.4 million customers. As a full-service provider of telecommunications products, Cox offers an array of services including cable television under the Cox Cable brand; local and long-distance telephone services under the Cox Digital Telephone brand; high-speed Internet access via Cox@Home; commercial voice and data services via Cox Fibernet and Cox@Work; and advanced digital video programming services under the Cox Digital TV brand. Cox is an equity partner in Sprint PCS, the nation's first national wireless personal communications service (PCS); and is an investor in numerous programming networks including Discovery Channel.

Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (http://www.sciatl.com) is a leading supplier of broadband communications systems, satellite-based video, voice and data communications networks, and worldwide customer service and support.

"Forward-looking statements," as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, may be included in this news release. A variety of factors could cause Scientific-Atlanta's actual results to differ from the anticipated results expressed in such forward-looking statements. Investors are referred to Scientific-Atlanta's Cautionary Statements (Exhibit 99 to the Company's most recent Form 10-Q), which statements are incorporated into this news release by reference.

Explorer is a registered trademark and PowerKEY is a trademark of Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. PowerTV is a registered trademark and Eagle is trademark of PowerTV, Inc. All other products or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. Web Site: http://www.sciatl.com

CONTACT:


NOTES TO EDITORS:  Call Scientific-Atlanta at the above number for a complete list and description of Explorer 2000 set-top features and services.