The Fremont, California-based company claims it is the only supplier to offer integrated chipsets with a programmable architecture that supports the multiple technologies used in broadband deployments. Its chipsets, which use discrete multi-tone technology, enables transmission rates from 50Mbps to 100Mbps to download information, and from 30Mbps to 50Mbps to send information upstream.
Its customers are original equipment manufacturers who sell to the leading carriers and include Marconi, NEC, Siemens, and UTStarcom.
Ikanos said it sees an enormous market opportunity for its products. It said Gartner Dataquest estimated that in 2003 there were over 488 million internet subscribers worldwide, but only 86.5 million subscribers were using first-generation broadband.
It said users are increasingly demanding access to advanced digital media, video and communications applications that require high-speed transmission rates. Its chipsets enable carriers to bridge the bandwidth gap between fiber and copper using existing copper lines.
Ikanos has a brief record of extraordinary growth. Revenue began in 2002 when it recorded $4.1m, and this climbed to $29m in 2003, though it made a net loss of $29.9m. In the first quarter to March 31, the net loss was $4.9m, down from $5.9m on revenue that tripled to $14.3m.
