More than 16,000 high school and college science classrooms across the United States will simultaneously see and chat with nine leading scientific and religious experts on the topic of global warming through the Earth Day Network using the new "PowerTV" internet- protocol television (IPTV) network of Chantilly-based Communication Technologies, Inc. (COMTek). The massive, interactive undertaking is believed to be single biggest simultaneous application of two-way IPTV technology ever attempted.

The live, two-way IPTV video/chat broadcast will take place from 1-3 p.m. ET/10 a.m.-1 p.m. PT on April 21, 2006 at http://www.earthdaynetwork.tv. Students will see a scientific expert panel followed by a panel of religious leaders and be able to chat with the panelists on a real-time basis throughout both presentations.

Jeff Nesbit, vice president of communications, Earth Day Network said: "The panelists for Earth Day Network's live chat are leading members of the global warming community and have all contributed significantly to the world's understanding of climate change. This major leap forward in our education efforts means that we will be able to reach literally hundreds of thousands of young minds at the same time -- and to get feedback from many of them as well."

Dr. Joseph Fergus, president and CEO, Communications Technologies, Inc., said: "COMTek has the ideal global network consisting of our own private IP, fiber, wireless, broadband over power lines (BPL) and satellite links, and the right background in managed network services to make an event possible on this unprecedented scale. This will be the first, true broadcast of real scope featuring IPTV service with full interactive capability. COMTek IPTV is a revolutionary new way to communicate that holds great promise for the Internet user community. The COMTek Network Services Team brings together nationally recognized media and technology leaders who have applied their skills and talents to create our innovative and patent-pending 'PowerTV' IPTV platform, which is truly unlike any other out there today."

Internet-protocol television can be live or pre-recorded and broadcast at any time, with DVD quality and capable of migrating to the next generation high definition television (HDTV). IPTV is a two-way interactive broadcast whereas traditional Web "streaming" is a one-way flow. COMTek's PowerTV Network Services provide users with the full experience of television broadcasting coupled with the interactive capability of the World Wide Web and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Through PowerTV, a user/viewer experience can now be fully personalized in a way that is impossible with over-the-air or cable television broadcasting.

All students who watch the IPTV-powered broadcast/chat are eligible to submit an essay to Earth Day Network describing what they learned and how it has motivated them to take action to slow global warming. The best essays will receive prizes and recognition on the Earth Day Network Web site.

The panelists for Earth Day Network's live broadcast/chat are leading members of the global warming community and have all contributed significantly to the world's understanding of climate change. Vicki Arroyo, director of policy analysis, Pew Center on Global Climate Change; Dr. David Battisti, professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington and director, University's Earth Initiative; Professor John Harte, Energy and Resources Group and the Ecosystem Sciences Division, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley; Dr. John Reilly, associate director for research, Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, and senior research scientist, Laboratory for Energy and Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Professor Daniel Schrag, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, and director, Harvard University Center for the Environment.

The second panel of religious leaders will consist of: Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs, National Association of Evangelicals; Rabbi Daniel Swartz, coordinator, Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, a project of the Churches Center on Theology and Public Policy and the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington; Rev. Alida M. DeCoster, minister, Social Justice Internship Program, the Unitarian Universalist, Washington D.C. office; and Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplain, Georgetown University.

Reflecting $11 million in development over a three-year period, COMTek PowerTV is distributed over the firm's private, hybrid, global IP network that integrates fiber, wireless, broadband-over-power-lines (BPL) and satellite distribution to power an edge-distributed, low-cost and flexible IPTV service capable of delivering quality, interactive viewing experiences to PowerTV clients and their customers. Dedicated access to its own robust network, 15 years of advanced IT and networking leadership, and the expertise of over 900 technical personnel provides COMTek PowerTV with significant competitive advantages in the IPTV arena.