CommScope, NextLevel and General Semiconductor Announce Cost Basis Allocation Information For Former General Instrument Shareholders

August 4, 1997 HICKORY, N.C.

In response to inquiries, the following statement was issued today by CommScope, Inc., NextLevel Systems, Inc., and General Semiconductor, Inc.

On July 28, 1997, General Instrument Corporation completed a strategic restructuring which resulted in the emergence of three new publicly traded companies: CommScope, Inc. (NYSE: CTV), NextLevel Systems, Inc. (NYSE: NLV) and General Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE: SEM). Accordingly, General Instrument shareholders of record on July 25, 1997 received the following shares in a tax-free distribution: one share of NextLevel Systems, one third (1/3) share of CommScope and one quarter (1/4) share of General Semiconductor for each share of General Instrument they owned.

In order to determine the cost basis of the new shares, General Instrument shareholders must allocate the original cost basis of their General Instrument shares among their new shares of NextLevel Systems, CommScope and General Semiconductor, based on the fair market values of those shares on the distribution date.

There is no specific authority as to how the fair market value of the NextLevel Systems, CommScope and General Semiconductor shares should be determined. One possible approach is to determine the fair market value of the NextLevel Systems, CommScope and General Semiconductor shares based on the opening share prices on July 28, 1997, the first day of "regular way" trading. General instrument shareholders adopting this approach would allocate the original cost basis of their General Instrument shares as follows:

NextLevel Systems 68.09%
CommScope 18.43%
General Semiconductor 13.48%

Alternatively, other methods could be used to measure fair market value on the distribution date, such as the closing share price on the first day of "regular way" trading, the average of the closing share process during an initial "regular way" trading period, or the average of the opening and closing share prices on the first full day of "regular way" trading.

The foregoing information is provided solely for the purpose of allocating the cost basis of the shares for tax purposes, and General Instrument shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with regard to the most appropriate cost basis allocation for their specific circumstances.

NextLevel Systems, Inc. is a leading worldwide supplier of systems and components for high-performance communications networks delivering video, voice and Intenet/data services. Created in the three-way split of General Instrument Corporation, NextLevel Systems comprises three businesses that are leaders in distinct global growth markets: the Broadband Networks Group, based in Hatboro, Pa.; the Satellite Data Networks Group, based in San Diego, Calif.; and Next Level Communications, based in Rohnert Park, Calif. NextLevel Systems, headquartered in Chicago, posted revenues of $1.8 billion in 1996 and employs more than 8,300 people worldwide.

CommScope, Inc., is the world's largest manufacturer of coaxial cable, producing more than 50 percent of the coaxial cable used by domestic cable television operators, and is a leading supplier of high-performance electronic cables for LAN and other applications.

General Semiconductor, Inc. is a market leader in the discrete segment of the semiconductor industry, with manufacturing facilities in China, Ireland, Taiwan and the United States. The company also has a strong sales presence in every part of the globe. It provides customers around the world with a broad range of rectifiers and transient voltage suppressor devices. Its customers are leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, lighting, telecommunications equipment, computers and automobiles and automobile after market products.

Visit the NextLevel Systems Web site at www.nlvl.com

Visit the CommScope Web site at www.commscope.com

Visit the General Semiconductor Web site at www.gensemi.com

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding CommScope's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

CommScope, Inc.
Investor: Phil Armstrong
704-323-4848;
or
Media:
Dick Badler, 773-695-1030
or
Investors:
Mark Borman, 773-695-1150
or
Debra O'Shea, 773-695-1154, all of NextLevel Systems, Inc.
or
Pam Jameson, General Semiconductor, Inc.
516-847-3169

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