NxtWave Communications' NXT2000 Chosen By EchoStar For Industry's Most Advanced HDTV Set-Top Box

NxtWave Communications Inc. (nxtwavecomm.com), a developer of broadband communications integrated circuits (ICs), have announced that EchoStar Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH)(NASDAQ: DISHP) has designed NxtWave Communications' NXT2000 receiver IC into a new 8VSB plug-in module available as an upgrade for EchoStar's new Model 6000 high definition television satellite receiver, both available this spring.With the 8VSB module, DISH Network customers who purchase the new EchoStar Model 6000 set-top box can take advantage of receiving local digital television broadcast signals using a standard UHF antenna. EchoStar's Model 6000 will be on display at the DISH Network CES booth No. 6011 in the north hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.EchoStar's new Model 6000 will be one of the most advanced direct broadcast satellite set-top boxes available. According to Cahners In-Stat Group, the market for set-top boxes is forecasted to grow to $7.4 billion by the year 2002, up from $3.9 billion in 1998.""We partnered with NxtWave Communications because their breakthrough technology enables us to deliver what our customers want: simple, easy, seamless access to great digital television delivered both by satellite and by local broadcast stations,"" said Ed Allwein, Vice President of Consumer Systems Engineering for EchoStar.""By working with EchoStar, the fastest growing direct broadcast satellite service in the U.S., we are able to begin to deliver to consumers the real benefits of terrestrially-broadcasted local digital TV,"" said Matt Miller, chief executive officer of NxtWave Communications. ""This is just the beginning. NxtWave is committed to developing products that change the future of broadband communications into the home.""The EchoStar Model 6000 will offer the most advanced, robust, low-cost HDTV receiver available to the consumer, affording the opportunity to view high-quality digital television via a small dish satellite TV system. EchoStar's Model 6000 provides seamless switching between HDTV and Standard Definition satellite television, with crisp pictures and crystal-clear Dolby Digital surround sound. The Model 6000 also offers on-screen Caller ID, UHF/IR remote control, VCR infrared blast, closed caption support, and an upgrade port for future technologies.About EchoStarDISH Network is EchoStar's state-of-the-art DBS system with the capacity to offer customers 500 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming as well as fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation. DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corp. and currently serves approximately 3.25 million customers. DISH Network was ranked number one in customer satisfaction among satellite/cable TV subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates in 1999. EchoStar V, EchoStar's newest, high-power direct broadcast satellite, launched on September 23, 1999, and provides the capacity for DISH Network to offer 500 channels, including high definition television, more local channels, and high-speed interactive television and data services.For more information, contact 800 333-DISH (3474) or visit www.dishnetwork.com.About NxtWave Communications Inc.NxtWave Communications Inc. develops broadband communications integrated circuits (ICs) for use in multiple mass markets. Using efficient and robust modulation and demodulation techniques, the company's IC solutions satisfy the requirements of manufacturers of cable modems, interactive set-top boxes, digital TVs and PC video products. NxtWave Communications leverages proprietary algorithms in its receiver implementations of industry standard transmission formats including QAM, VSB, QPSK and NTSC. NxtWave Communications has headquarters in Langhorne, Penn. with worldwide marketing and sales headquarters in Irvine, Calif.About NxtWave Communications' NXT2000Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) compliant, high-performance, multimode integrated circuit (IC) that performs in either 8 VSB mode for terrestrial broadcasting or in 64 QAM, 256 QAM or 16 VSB modes for cable TV. The NXT2000 cancels transmission channel impairments such as static and dynamic multipath, phase noise, adjacent or co-channel NTSC interference and impulse noise. It also greatly exceeds the performance demonstrated by the Grand Alliance reference system at the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). In addition to reliable reception, the device has important features for consumers. Such features include a built in signal quality indicator to ease antenna alignment and an ultra-fast signal acquisition (50 milliseconds or less) that allows rapid channel surfing capability, which to date, has not been possible with other digital receivers.

For additional information visit www.nxtwavecomm.com.