New Structure Announced for Production of BBTSolution Digital Set-Tops; Drake Focuses on BBT Headend Manufacturing

Online, July 26, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Baltimore, MD (July 23, 2010) The principals involved in the development of the "BBTSolutionïƒ"" downloadable security system and R.L. Drake have announced a restructuring to more efficiently bring the BBTSolutionïƒ" downloadable security technology to the telecommunications marketplace.

The Beyond Broadband Technology, LLC (BBT) leadership is creating a new company to expedite the production of the first fully tested and manufactured "BBTSolutionïƒ"" set top box for the cable industry. That box was designed by Drake Digital Freedom, LLC (DDF) in close cooperation with BBT, the developer of the new core downloadable security incorporated in the set top, using specially designed secure microchips manufactured by ST Microelectronics. The initial set top box design has now gone through security testing by Telcordia and is ready for full production. The new company has purchased the production rights and inventories to produce the "Digital Freedom" set top box, freeing Drake to focus on its expertise of building and distributing the headend equipment used to enable the "BBTSolutionïƒ"" boxes.

In a joint announcement, Bill Bauer, CEO/CTO of BBT and Mike Brubaker, President and CEO of R.L. Drake, said that now that the initial technical development phase of the set top box is completed and proved, it made more sense for Drake to focus on its expertise in headend design and development and hand off the set top box manufacturing to the new company. Preparations are under way to begin full commercial manufacture of the SD/HD-full function set top box. Bauer noted that BBT committed to the Federal Communications Commission that the BBTSolutionïƒ" downloadable security technology has been designed with an "open" specification. As a result, several other major manufacturers are now in discussions to build various models of BBTSolutionïƒ" enabled set top boxes with differing capabilities, from the "core" box now going into production, to ones limited in function, such as a "DTA" (digital terminal adapter) as well as those with DVR capability. "We hope to have several more announcements in the near future about additional manufacturers joining in the move toward downloadable security. Today's restructuring will put us in position to help accelerate the adoption of this new technology. We have all agreed to concentrate on the areas that accentuate our expertise. It's a very exciting time" Bauer said.

BBT is also working in close partnership with Avail-TVN, which distributes via satellite over 250 SD channels, 64 HD channels, 56 audio channels, and a full library of VOD and pay-per-view content in MPEG4, incorporating a conditional access stream compatible with the BBTSolutionïƒ" downloadable security design. This will allow cable operators to receive fully encrypted and encoded programming at the cable headend, and distribute it directly to BBT enabled set top boxes without the need for intermediate re-processing of the signals. This package of highly efficient transport, inexpensive headend management and downloadable security set top boxes, which meet the FCC's current rules for "separable security" gives cable operators a new and attractive option for both recovering analog bandwidth and having maximum flexibility for future technical developments.