Broadcom Announces New Feature-Rich 802.11n VoIP Router Solutions with 3G USB Modem Support

IRVINE, Calif., June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced its new Intensi-fi® XLR wireless LAN (WLAN) VoIP router system-on-a-chip (SoC) platform solutions with enhanced features that include 3G support, industry leading performance and best-in-class power consumption. System OEMs can now leverage unparalleled Broadcom® wireless silicon integration and a proven VoIP software suite to develop advanced routers. 3G functionality can be added to these new platform solutions using a USB interface, bringing Internet and network services to homes where broadband is otherwise unavailable.

Highlights/Key Facts:  

• 3G USB modems enable consumers to utilize their cellular network to create an instant Wi-Fi hotspot for whole home Internet and VoIP services. According to InStat, revenues from external 3G modems alone will reach $2.34 billion globally by the end of 2010.
• Running a VoIP stack on the wireless router enables consumers to make high quality phone calls over the Internet. VoIP routers bring cost benefits to consumers since calls are charged as part of the Internet service instead of a separate regular telephone charge. Added services like multiple lines, conference call and caller ID are also provided at no additional charge as part of typical VoIP offerings.
• Broadcom's 802.11n design platform with external 3G support includes router options for low-end to high-end solutions as follows:
  • The Broadcom BCM5356U (a single-stream 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11n router SoC solution)
  • The BCM5358U (a dual-stream 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11n router SoC solution)
  • The BCM5358 (a dual-stream 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11n router SoC solution with VoIP support)
  • The BCM47186 (a dual-stream 2.4GHz  IEEE 802.11n high-performance Gigabit Ethernet router SoC solution with VoIP support)
• To provide a strong wireless backbone for the networked home, Broadcom optimized this new 802.11n router platform with Accelerange™ technology -- a unique set of hardware and software enhancements that ensures more robust wireless coverage.
• The powerful 533 MHz MIPS32 74K core CPU memory subsystem architecture allows for consistently enhanced voice quality even under high Internet data traffic conditions.
• Broadcom uses a 65 nanometer CMOS design process and a high level of integration to reduce the number of system components on-chip, which in turn, lowers the rest-of-bill-of-materials (RBOM) cost by up to 35 percent. These new router SoC solutions further reduce cost by using two-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs), making high-end routers more affordable to consumers.
• The new Intensi-fi XLR platform builds upon the architecture of Broadcom's current 802.11n platform, and maintains data rates of up to 300 Megabits per second (Mbps).
• Broadcom's proven VoIP solution includes:
  • Pulse Coded Modulation (PCM) interface
  • Variety of voice codecs including:
    • G.711
    • G.729A+B
    • G.722
  • Caller ID and progress tone generation
  • Echo cancellation
  • 2 FXS voice ports
  • T.38 fax relay
  • 3-way conference call support
• Other key features of these new SoC solutions include:
  • Interface to support 3G and 4G technologies including WiMAX and LTE (long term evolution) WAN connectivity
  • Integrated IEEE 802.11n CPU/MAC/BB/Radio
  • Memory controller and five-port Fast Ethernet switch
  • Integrated 2.4 GHz power amplification circuit
  • USB 2.0 host port that can be used for storage and print server applications
  • Low-power modes for a green router footprint

Supporting Quotes

Wang Yinfeng, President of Huawei Home Convergence Product line

"Broadcom is a trusted supplier of VoIP. In this highly integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi router platform, Broadcom has leveraged their proven VoIP software stack.  For that reason, Huawei has selected one of Broadcom's highly competitive 802.11n solutions for our 3G router family, bringing trusted Internet access to places where consumers don't have DSL, cable, or other services."

Michael Hurlston, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Broadcom's WLAN line of business

"By optimizing our wireless solutions for popular consumer use cases, Broadcom is able to address growing industry trends in wireless routers including support for external wide area wireless networking (3G, WiMAX and LTE) and the ability to run a high quality VoIP stack.  This product family not only supports these two new features, but also provides best in class system integration and wireless performance."

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications.  Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment.  We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices.  These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies, with 2009 revenue of $4.49 billion, holds more than 4,050 U.S. and 1,650 foreign patents, and has more than 7,900 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

A FORTUNE 500® company, Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe.  Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change.  Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words.  Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to our ability to address industry trends in wireless routers.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the BCM5356, BCM5358 and BCM47186 router SoC solutions include, but are not limited to:

• the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's wireless technologies for wireless router solutions;
• trends in the wireless networking markets in various geographic regions, including the seasonality in sales of consumer products into which our products are incorporated;
• competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products;
• our ability to timely and accurately predict market requirements and evolving industry standards and to identify opportunities in new markets; and
• delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in those markets.

Additional factors that may cause Broadcom's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the list that can be found at http://www.broadcom.com/press/additional_risk_factors/Q22010.php.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.  The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom, the pulse logo, Connecting everything, the Connecting everything logo, Intensi-fi and Accelerange™ are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU.  Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless