FIRECOMMS TO INCLUDE STMICROELECTRONICS IPTV SET-TOP BOX REFERENCE DESIGN IN DEMONSTRATION OF LOW-COST OPTICAL HOME NETWORKING AT IPTV WORLD FORUM

Cork, Ireland — March 23, 2009 — On the heels of the successful integration of Firecomms' Optical Ethernet OptoLock® transceiver into STMicroelectronics' newest HD IPTV STi7105 set-top box (STB) reference design, Firecomms Ltd. is delighted to announce the first live demonstration of this technology on its booth #95 at this week's IPTV World Forum in London's Olympia Grand Hall.

Developed by Firecomms, a leading developer of high speed Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) transceivers and Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs), OptoLock is an easy-to-use, low-cost transceiver for instant termination of bare POF. This innovative plugless connector enables the optical fiber to be cut and terminated to the exact required length on site, allowing even novice consumers to quickly and easily terminate the bare optical fiber directly into the STB. OptoLock is based on world-class photonics technology, so it's ideal for Ethernet applications with stringent quality-of-service requirements such as IPTV gateways, set-top boxes, and hubs.

POF provides home users with all the benefits and none of the disadvantages typically associated with optical fiber connections. Significantly, Mitsubishi Rayon, the world's largest fiber manufacturer, will use this opportunity at IPTV World Forum to present OPTOHOME™, the company's latest fiber optic cable specifically developed for the costcompetitive home networking market.

"Although we have seen many thousands of POF connections installed with external network adapters, this integration step and demonstration illustrates to set-top box manufacturers the level of maturity that POF has reached within the IPTV home network," said Hugh Hennessy, Firecomms vice president of sales and marketing. "With this increased level of interest in this low-cost embedded solution, we are hopeful to announce first platform releases by leading set-top box manufacturers in the coming months."

"The STi7105 is a new, advanced decoding System-on-Chip targeted at next-generation high-definition cable, terrestrial, satellite, DSL, IP, and hybrid set-top boxes," said Jean- Michel Goiran, IP-STB business development at STMicroelectronics. "The integration of OptoLock into our STi7105 reference design further expands the flexibility of the chip in facilitating developments in next-generation home network and set-top box solutions."

Firecomms leads the development of devices that drive POF, a low-cost optical alternative to copper cabling. Due to its ease of use, large core tolerances, and low costs, POF is enjoying significant growth in a wide range of applications. Created for consumer, industrial, and automotive applications in which plastic fiber can be used more easily and at lower costs than copper or glass fiber, POF is now used in millions of small area networks, such as those in cars, and is rapidly gaining ground in home network and pointto- point interconnections. The POF market is estimated to be worth over $1 billion per year beginning at the end of 2009.

About Firecomms Ltd.

Firecomms, a semiconductor company, develops high-speed optical components that drive IPTV home networks and in-car multimedia entertainment systems. The company’s revolutionary Optolock® technology, licensed worldwide, has created the ability to bring fiber into every home in the world.

Firecomms is headquartered in Cork, Ireland and has facilities in Japan and the USA. Additional information about the company can be found on its web site at www.firecomms.com.

OptoLock is a registered trademark of Firecomms Ltd.

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