Beer-Sheva, ISRAEL — August 2005 — Yitran Communications, Ltd., a leading provider of PLC (Power Line Communication) technology and systems, has announced a successful completion of a worldwide pilot installation series of its extremely robust and low-cost PITEL BPL (Broadband over Powerline) system for in-building Internet distribution over the existing electrical wiring.   

The PITEL system is based on Yitran’s high performance ITC1/ITM1 PLC chipset and it eliminates the need for a separate dedicated communication infrastructure.  The PLC technology used in PITEL is the same technology used by companies such as Main.net (Israel), Linecom and Preminet (both of Japan) in their "Last Mile" and in-building PLC systems, installed in Europe, USA and China. This is aligned with the recent trend, strongly seen in the USA, of rise in demand for PLC solutions following the great success of the HomePlug™ technology and the expected success of HomePlug BPL technology. 

"The completion of pilot installations Lithuania, Portugal, Turkey, Malaysia , China  and India is a major milestone on the road to mass deployment", said Avner Matmor, co-founder and CEO of Yitran. "The system and our PLC technology are the enablers of low-cost yet high performance Internet service with minimal investment in infrastructure. Implementation is straightforward, fulfilling the needs of MDU (Multi-Dwelling Units) tenants, hotel guests and commercial offices.  Target markets for the PITEL include countries with emerging needs for low-cost  in-building  Internet distribution solutions, mainly in Asia, East Europe and South America but also in additional parts of the world. The pilot stage already covers most of these areas and we see a growing demand for our solution". 

The system is comprised of 3 types of network elements: a base station unit (BST) connected to the backbone via standard Ethernet port, a repeater station - a relay unit (RPT) and a remote station (RMT)- the CPE. A secure web based network management application (NMS), provided as part of the system, supports standard web-browser interface, remote network configuration and remote network monitoring, all using standard tools and methodology.

Implementation of the system requires low capital investment and provides an instant revenue stream - with the base station in place (connected to a broadband backbone such as DSL, cable modem, satellite, etc’) the building is ready. No need for expensive rewiring or post-wiring and no unnecessary redundant investment in connecting users that haven’t joined the service yet. System’s installation is non-disruptive and it does not require retrofitting the building for new wiring, so the building’s decor can be kept intact.

PITEL is an ideal solution for buildings where wireless networking is not easily supported. Any electrical outlet at the apartment is turned into an Internet access port and Internet is quickly at hand at any receptacle. The system is now offered in the form of a commercial system that incorporates all the required functionality and services, in a very competitive pricing. The PITEL is an optimal complimentary solution to broadband backbone technologies such as DSL, cable modem, satellite and fixed wireless.

“We are already in final development stages of the next generation of PITEL, which will be based on our 24Mbps PLC modem chipset", added Matmor. "Current system uses our high performance PLC technology to deliver high-speed Internet access over a building's existing electrical wiring for a cost-effective, scalable, and reliable means of enabling broadband connectivity. With the next generation, we expect to penetrate additional markets and widely broaden our sales activity".

About Yitran Communications Ltd.

A fabless semiconductor company, Yitran Communications Ltd. designs, develops, and markets high performance, low cost PLC (Power Line Communication) modem chips and systems. Yitran’s products provide robust and reliable communication over the existing electrical wiring and power grids and enable a variety of "No New Wires" applications, such as Home Automation, Command & Control, AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) and Internet distribution over power lines (in hotels and MDU/MTU markets). Yitran's customer and partner lists include leading companies, such as Renesas, Matsushita Electric Works, Hitachi, KEPCO, Kinden, LG and Microsoft. For further details: http://www.yitran.com/.

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SOURCE: YITRAN Communications Ltd.