Lucent Digital Radio Conducts Live Over-the-Air Demonstrations of its Digital Radio System at NAB 2000 with Station KNPR-FM

Las Vegas (April 10, 2000) - Lucent Digital Radio, Inc. (LDR) today announced that it is conducting live over-the-air demonstrations of its In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) digital audio broadcasting system at Las Vegas, Nevada station KNPR-FM, 89.5 during this week's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention.

LDR, a venture owned by Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) and Pequot Capital Management Inc., will demonstrate its system through prototype receivers in mobile van tests. Listeners will hear CD quality FM sound from KNPR, without interference or fading.

"We want the broadcast industry to hear the sound of radio's future for themselves at this year's NAB show, and we're pleased to work with a technically-sophisticated station such as KNPR to make these demonstrations possible," said Suren Pai, president and CEO of LDR. "The capabilities of our IBOC system will offer broadcasters, receiver manufacturers, and listeners a range of new opportunities, including datacasting, so that digital radio becomes an ideal delivery mechanism for rich media of all kinds."

KNPR-FM is the flagship station of the Nevada Public Radio Corporation (NPRC), and was Nevada's first NPR member station.

"The Lucent Digital Radio system demonstrations support our mission to bring our listeners the leading-edge technology first," said Lamar Marchese, president and general manager of the Nevada Public Radio Corporation. "The Lucent Digital Radio IBOC technology will deliver to our discerning listeners the best possible audio quality and will extend our station's signal coverage." LDR's In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) system will allow terrestrial radio broadcasters to transmit higher-quality sound over AM and FM and support the introduction of innovative, low-cost data broadcast services. LDR has development agreements with Harman/Kardon and Recoton for IBOC-enabled radios.

LDR draws on several patented Bell Labs digital audio and channel coding techniques that provide robust digital signal delivery in broadcasting environments. These technologies include Perceptual Audio Coder™ (PAC™), which enables efficient transmission of high-quality audio; Unequal Error Protection, which prioritizes information based on its impact to audio quality; and Multi-Streaming, which provides for a more robust signal in an impaired channel.

The Nevada Public Radio Corporation operates a non-commercial radio broadcast network comprised of three stations, KNPR-FM, Las Vegas (1980), KTPH-FM Tonopah (1988) and KLNR-FM, Panaca (1989), plus ten rural translators. It is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors, William Noonan, Chairman. The corporation is managed by founder and President/General Manager Lamar Marchese. National Public Radio, a membership organization of 607 public radio stations across America, is radio's leading provider of high-quality news, information and cultural programming.

Lucent Digital Radio Inc. is developing IBOC DAB technology for AM and FM broadcasting worldwide. Its IBOC system will be resistant to multipath and other forms of interference that impair current analog transmissions. Information is also available on the Web at www.lucent.com/ldr.

The Pequot Private Equity Funds is the private placement/direct investment arm of Pequot Capital Management Inc. The Pequot Private Equity Funds invest in public and late-stage private companies in information technology, telecommunications and healthcare. The Pequot Venture Fund invests in seed and early-stage technology companies. Pequot Capital Management Inc. is a research-intensive investment firm with more than US$6 billion in assets under management. Pequot Capital, which is 100 percent employee-owned, is headquartered in Westport, Conn., with offices in New York City and California. For more information about Pequot Capital, visit its Web site at www.pequotcap.com.

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as optical and wireless networks; Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Web site at www.lucent.com.

###

« View all News Releases