ALAMEDA, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI) was recently accepted into the Open IPTV Forum, a telecommunications industry organization charged with publishing standards-based specifications intended to expedite deployment of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services to telecom operators, consumer electronics manufacturers and network infrastructure providers around the world. Recognized for its IPTV leadership position in China and India, as evidenced by market share and live subscribers, UTStarcom will offer its expertise in developing and deploying IPTV solutions in both fast-growing and established regions around the world.

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The Open IPTV Forum's goal is to develop, publish and promote end-to-end IPTV specifications to make this interactive technology a mass-market service. As a provider of an end-to-end IPTV system that delivers personalized, interactive communications and multimedia experiences, UTStarcom will work closely with other companies within the organization to accelerate the development and adoption of Forum specifications.

"UTStarcom is pleased to be accepted into the Open IPTV Forum, an organization that drives telecom industry collaboration and seeks to make IPTV available to more consumers across the globe," said Peter Blackmore, UTStarcom CEO and president. "We intend to contribute our unique understanding of the opportunities and challenges in global telecom markets based on our large-scale IPTV deployments and relationships with the world's most respected service providers."

As of June 2008, UTStarcom's RollingStream(R) end-to-end IPTV system supports more than 956,000 live IPTV subscribers globally and maintains a total system capacity of more than 2.5 million subscribers as a result of recent successful deployments in China with China Unicom (formerly China Netcom) and China Telecom, in India with Bharti Airtel, BSNL/Aksh, MTNL/Aksh and United Telecoms Limited, in Sri Lanka with SLT, in Japan with Softbank, in Latin America with Brasil Telecom and in Taiwan with Markwell.

"The Open IPTV Forum is delighted to welcome UTStarcom as a member," said Yun Chao Hu, Open IPTV Forum Chairman. "Globally, the adoption of IPTV as an advanced interactive platform is accelerating, and the work of the Forum reinforces and drives this trend. By continuing to attract recognized and experienced companies from the IPTV space as members, the Forum is strengthening its position at the forefront of the industry's innovation and development."

About Open IPTV Forum

The Open IPTV Forum is a cross-industry initiative, within the telecom sector, working toward producing IPTV standards that will take the technology to next-generation and mass market use. The organization consists of telecom companies collaborating to provide an IPTV solution that enables a "plug and play" experience for the end-users. The Open IPTV Forum founding companies include Ericsson, France Telecom, Nokia Siemens, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony Corporation and Telecom Italia. For more information about the Forum, visit the organization's Web site at http://www.openiptvforum.org.

About UTStarcom, Inc.

UTStarcom is a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and international service and support. The company sells its solutions to operators in both emerging and established telecommunications markets around the world. UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient, end-to-end IP networks. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and development operations in the United States, Canada, China, Korea and India. For more information about UTStarcom, visit the company's Web site at http://www.utstar.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding the future growth and application of UTStarcom's IPTV technology. These statements are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements include: possible delays in development of technology; termination of new contracts, partnerships or alliances; and changes in government regulation and licensing requirements. Please also refer to UTStarcom's periodic reports that are filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange commission, including our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. UTStarcom assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE UTStarcom, Inc.