Investor Relations

ALAMEDA, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI) was recognized for its Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) innovation by Informa and the IPTV World Forum during the initial round of the 2009 IPTV World Awards program. UTStarcom, the leading IPTV provider in Asia, was selected as a finalist in the 'Most Innovative New Service' category for its development and deployment of the iControl IPTV service with Aksh Optifibre Ltd.

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The IPTV Awards 2009 celebrate the best of the best in the global industry and gives all honorees a mark of quality, innovation and leadership. The 'Most Innovative New Service' award category especially recognizes the excellence of an IPTV service that was launched by an operator or service provider in 2008, delivered over a managed network and that made a significant contribution to service revenues and customer satisfaction.

Aksh Optifibre Ltd.'s iControl IPTV Service, designed and built in collaboration with UTStarcom, came to market in India on June 15, 2008, as India's first IPTV service offering. It is built on the end-to-end RollingStream(R) IPTV solution framework provided by UTStarcom and is offered to India consumers through Bharat Sanchar Nigam, Ltd. (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL). This interactive IPTV offering enables subscribers to message and talk with one another live through video communications tools on their television, as well as interact live with their favorite shows through polling and karaoke. Aksh's iControl service also offers several unique interactive experiences not currently available through competitive cable and satellite services.

As of year-end 2008, UTStarcom's RollingStream end-to-end IPTV system supported more than 1.27 million live IPTV subscribers globally and had a total live system capacity of more than 2.5 million subscribers. UTStarcom has announced IPTV deployments 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 IPTV World Series Awards will be presented at a Gala Evening ceremony on the opening night of the IPTV World Forum, the world's largest IP video-focused event, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London.

About IPTV World Forum

The IPTV World Forum was developed as a direct response to the rapid growth in the marketplace, bringing together operators, technology partners, broadcasters and content providers to explore and define the IPTV evolution. Informa Telecoms & Media has a long history of developing events for the digital technology marketplace, including broadcasting, interactive television, digital radio, home networking and a range of events for the telecommunications industry. For more information, visit www.iptv-forum.com.

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 www.utstar.com.

SOURCE UTStarcom, Inc.