Thomson Multimedia, Radio Shack Move Consumers Closer to Broadband Service

January 12, 2001 - The RCA DCM226 digital cable modem from Thomson Multimedia - the country's first Excite@Home Full Level II approved digital cable modem with USB - is now available at RCA Digital Entertainment Centers at 150 RadioShack stores in the Northeast, offering consumers an easy connection to a high-speed broadband cable Internet experience. Thomson and RadioShack announced the agreement concurrent with the first Excite@Home retail store launches in New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
"We are excited about the opportunity to expand the base of consumers who will have access to broadband Internet service at speeds 50-to-100 times faster than current dial-up connections, and the relationship with RadioShack is a major advance for our ongoing Cable@Retail initiative," said Thomson's David Spomer, Vice President - Digital Decoder Product Management. "Simplified installation of digital cable modems is a key to adding greater numbers of broadband users."

"We are happy to have this cable modem from RCA available in our initial rollout markets for cable broadband Internet access," said RadioShack's Senior Vice President and General Manager Mark Stanley. "Our business strategy is to become America's Home Connectivity Store, and by offering multiple broadband transports, including cable, RadioShack can make high-speed Internet access available to millions of American consumers."

The RCA DCM226 recently became the first USB-equipped digital cable modem to achieve Excite@Home Full Level II approval, further confirming Thomson's Broadband Cable Group as an industry leader in the certification and implementation of new technology into high-speed digital cable modems. The Excite@Home achievement closely followed Win98SE and Win2000 certification for the DCM226, assuring simple installation with newer PCs supporting USB.

The RCA DCM226 is a DOCSIS 1.1 based modem that provides advanced features such as quality of service to guarantee data rates and an advanced privacy standard to further enable secure communications between the cable modem and the cable company's head-end equipment. The modem includes features that address easier installation and faster response and connects to the computer via Ethernet 10/100Base-T with auto sensing or USB. The USB port on the modem is designed to reduce installation time significantly, and in many cases may lead to additional savings in installation costs.

RadioShack and Excite@Home previously announced the availability of the QuickStart installation kit, which further simplifies the process of acquiring @Home service with the RCA USB enabled modem. The Excite@Home service provides unlimited Internet access with no dial-up or busy signals and "always on" connection. The service is delivered via cable with no interruption in television viewing or telephone service.

The first wave of the retail offer will involve cable customers served by Comcast Online Communications, Inc. RadioShack plans to roll out the Excite@home service in additional markets with other Excite@home cable partners, including AT&T Broadband and Cox Communications, throughout 2001.

Source: Thomson Multimedia