While universal standards for structured cabling are still evolving, industry groups such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Electronic Industry Association (EIA) have defined different categories of cabling transmission performance. These standards have become the benchmark for cable performance specifications. The ANSI/TIA/EIA 568 standard defines the "minimum" mechanical and transmission performance levels for structured cabling within a commercial building.

The proposed revision to the 568 standard creates a new tier of performance, called Category 5E, which will affect LAN product segmentation and pricing. The higher-priced Category 5E compliant cables are designed for high-speed, full duplex networks and will provide improved performance compared to "standard grade" Category 5.

"We're delighted to continue to create value for our customers," said Mike Murphy, Senior Vice President, LAN Products. "Our recent quality assurance test data confirms that our current standard Category 5 products are compliant with the pending Category 5E industry standard. This new tier provides customers a greater choice of products to meet their networking needs."

CommScope is the world's largest manufacturer of coaxial cable and is a leading supplier of high-performance cables for LAN and other applications. For more information on more than 6,000 coaxial, fiber and twisted-pair cable products visit CommScope's web site at www.commscope.com.
SOURCE CommScope, Inc.
Web site: http: //www.commscope.com
CONTACT: Jeff Telling, Marketing Director, LAN Products, 828-459-5702, or Phil Armstrong, Director, Investor Relations, 828-323-4848, both of CommScope, Inc.