FIRECOMMS ANNOUNCES OPTOLOCK™, A PLUGLESS TRANSCEIVER THAT ENABLES COST-EFFECTIVE INSTALLATIONS OF PLASTIC OPTICAL FIBER

Cork, Ireland — January 8, 2007 — Firecomms today announces that its Fast Ethernet fiber optic transceiver technology is now available in a new easy to use, low-cost housing that provides instant termination of bare Plastic Optical Fiber (POF). This new POF port, called OptoLock™, significantly quickens and simplifies the connection of devices in communications and infotainment networks.

As this new port incorporates Firecomms EDL300 transceivers, OptoLock is ideal for 100 Mb Ethernet applications with stringent quality of service requirements such as IPTV gateways, set-top boxes, and hubs. The design of OptoLock enables the fiber to be cut and terminated to the exact required length on site, allowing even the most novice consumer to quickly and easily terminate the bare optical fiber.

"OptoLock gives OEMs a low-cost interface for high-volume optical fiber applications," says Firecomms CEO Declan O'Mahoney. "With this device, all the advantages of optical fiber can be brought into the home with do-it-yourself simplicity and costs. The benefits of this simple, robust high-speed interface will be significant as high-speed services like 100 Mb IPTV are delivered into the home."

OptoLock is mechanically and electrically interchangeable with SMI (Small Media Interface) connectors enabled by Firecomms EDL300 transceivers, which are widely used.

Firecomms leads the development of devices to drive POF, a low-cost optical alternative to copper cabling. Due to its ease of use, large core tolerances, and low costs, POF is enjoying significant growth in a wide range of applications. Created for consumer, industrial, and automotive applications in which plastic fiber can be used more easily and at lower cost than copper or glass fiber, POF is now used in millions of small area networks, such as those in use in many car models, and is rapidly gaining ground in home network and point-to-point interconnection. The POF market is estimated to be worth over $1 billion per year by the end of 2008.

Volume shipments of the transceiver will begin in January 2007. Detailed specifications about this new device can be found on the company’s web site at www.firecomms.com.

About Firecomms Ltd.

Firecomms, a compound semiconductor company, develops high-speed light sources in visible range wavelengths. Firecomms' lasers and LEDs provide the groundwork that will revolutionize optical data communications for small area networks, such as in-car networks and home networks. Firecomms' low power visible lasers unleash the potential for advances in medical devices, barcode scanners, and optical storage devices.

The Ireland-based company leverages its ten years of photonics research experience, optical expertise, and extensive IP portfolio to develop cost-effective solutions for applications in which the use of glass fiber optics is prohibitively expensive. Additional information about Firecomms is available at www.firecomms.com.

OptoLock is a trademark of Firecomms Ltd.

Further Information:

Rene' Williams
Firecomms Ltd.
Tel. 949.360.7770
rene@firecomms.com