BigBand Networks and TVWorks Demonstrate Enhanced TV Capabilities At CableLabs® Interop

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November 13, 2006

Comcast also participates in tests to deliver interactive advertising, TV-based eCommerce and interactive programming to legacy set-top boxes

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., and MILL VALLEY, Calif. - BigBand Networks, Inc., a leading provider of broadband multimedia infrastructure for video, voice and data, and TVWorks, a joint-venture between Comcast Communications and Cox Communications focused on developing next-generation interactive cable technology and services, announced that they demonstrated enhanced television (ETV) capabilities as part of a series of interoperability testing at CableLabs® headquarters in Louisville, Colo. BigBand expanded the functionality of its Broadband Multimedia-Service Router (BMR®) to enable insertion of applications such as interactive advertising, TV-based eCommerce and interactive programming based on CableLabs' ETV specifications. BigBand's network equipment communicates with TVWorks' set-top box client and a range of other elements, including ad servers and set-top boxes from multiple vendors, to deliver interactive TV programming to subscribers.

The TVWorks platform enables deployment of applications based on the CableLabs Enhanced Television - Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) specifications. The EBIF standard should speed the time-to-broadcast and return-on-investment for interactive TV applications by allowing those applications to be developed once and deployed to the majority of the installed digital cable set-top boxes in North America, as well as next-generation cable set-tops coming to the market.

"BigBand is a key partner in the overall development of eTV," said Irv Kalick, President, TVWorks Applications Division. "TVWorks is leading the effort to standardize the interactive application environment for U.S. cable operators. Through our partnerships with companies such as BigBand, we are making this promise a reality for cable operators, content providers and advertisers."

Many service providers are eager to make interactive applications available as a way to differentiate their service offerings, while publishers are more actively incorporating interactivity into their content to better engage TV viewers. Interactive applications like audience polling, clickable TV advertising and interactive retailing create important new revenue streams for cable operators as competition for eyeballs increases among new media.

"CableLabs' specification and interoperability effort is a practical approach that should make ETV available to as many users as possible, quickly and economically, and we support TVWorks' efforts as a leader bringing the ETV standard to market," said Ran Oz, chief technology officer of BigBand Networks. "The ETV demonstration is only the beginning for BigBand. We also plan to support ETV capabilities in a range of new solutions, including our addressable advertising solution."

The BigBand BMR is designed to enable advertisement splicing, advanced video processing services and addressable advertising on today's networks, and provides a scalable platform to innovate new service-enhancing capabilities in the future. For additional information about the BMR, visit http://www.bigbandnet.com/products/bmr1200.php.

About TVWorks (www.tvworks.com)

With TV Works software, cable subscribers can enjoy new advanced services such as electronic program guides, personal video recorders, video on demand, interactive advertising, enhanced programming, portals and games. These services can run on today's deployed set-top boxes as well as emerging standards-based OCAP devices. TVWorks' long history in the cable industry traces back to 1973, with the founding of Cableshare, where TVWorks' ground-breaking technologies led to some of the world's earliest interactive television trials and deployments. Next, TVWorks teamed with Oracle's NCI division and Netscape's Navio spin-off and became Liberate Technologies, building the foundation of the TVWorks platform technology. More recently, TVWorks added MetaTV to the team, enhancing the platform with advanced application technology and services.

TVWorks is located in London, Ontario and Mill Valley, California and is a joint venture between Comcast Communications and Cox Communications, two of the largest cable operators in the world.

About BigBand Networks

BigBand Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of broadband multimedia infrastructure for video, voice and data. The company's solutions are designed to process, optimize, and deliver services such as broadband Internet, VoIP, digital broadcast television, HDTV, transport of high quality video, local advertising, VOD, interactive TV and IPTV through any network. Service providers use BigBand Networks' platforms in efforts to cost-effectively expand revenue-generating offerings of rich content and advanced interactive services. Customers include cable operators, U.S. telecommunications companies, as well as leading service providers in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Founded in 1998, BigBand Networks is based in Redwood City, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, please call 650-995-5000, email info@bigbandnet.com or visit www.bigbandnet.com.