Marconi Communications — 3 prefixes (MA-L)

A MAC address beginning with 00:20:48, 00:90:45, or 00:A0:78 belongs to Marconi Communications, registered at 1000 Fore Drive, Warrendale, PA — typically found on legacy ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) networking hardware such as ForeRunner ASX-series switches and LE-155 network interface adapters.

Marconi Communications was the telecommunications-equipment subsidiary of Britain's General Electric Company plc (GEC), formed in August 1998 from the merger of GEC-Plessey Telecommunications with Marconi SpA, GEC Hong Kong, and ATC South Africa. It became the principal operating subsidiary of the renamed Marconi plc in 1999.

Soon after formation, Marconi used proceeds from GEC's sale of its defence arm to BAE Systems to acquire FORE Systems — a Warrendale, PA-based ATM switching pioneer — and RELTEC Corporation, a broadband access equipment maker, both in 1999. The Warrendale facility's street address, 1000 Fore Drive, is itself a relic of the FORE Systems acquisition.

Products under these prefixes include FORE Systems' ForeRunner ASX-200BX ATM switch and LE-155 ATM network interface adapter, still resold today under the compound branding "FORE Systems / Marconi / Ericsson." Marconi Communications was defunct by around 2005-2006, with its assets substantially absorbed into Ericsson. IEEE publishes no assignment date for these prefixes; a third-party aggregator's "22 April 1998" date for 00:20:48 is that database's own record, not an IEEE fact.

This entry covers only "Marconi Communications" at Warrendale, PA. It should not be confused with the similarly named but distinct "Marconi Communications Inc." (00:B0:48, Irving, TX) or other Marconi/GEC-family registrants such as Marconi Communication GmbH, Marconi plc, Marconi Electronics Ltd., Marconi SpA, and TTC Marconi s.r.o., each a separate IEEE registrant.

IEEE assignment

00:20:48, 00:90:45, 00:A0:78 → Marconi Communications, registered 1000 Fore Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086-7502, US [Confirmed] — the IEEE MA-L registry lines 6293, 37791, 37967; the Wireshark manufacturer database lines 8450, 15891, 16226

Registry / block size

MA-L (24-bit OUI); exactly 3 confirmed prefixes registered under this name+address in this repo's registry snapshot [Confirmed] — the IEEE MA-L registry, the Wireshark manufacturer database

HQ / country

1000 Fore Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086-7502, US (registry address; company now defunct) [Confirmed] — the IEEE MA-L registry

Company status

defunct (~2005-2006), assets substantially absorbed into Ericsson [Confirmed] — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marconi_Communications

Corporate history

formed August 1998 as GEC's telecom subsidiary (merger of GEC-Plessey Telecommunications, Marconi SpA, GEC Hong Kong, ATC South Africa); became principal operating subsidiary of renamed Marconi plc in 1999

[Confirmed] — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marconi_Communications, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marconi_Electronic_Systems

Acquisitions

acquired FORE Systems (Warrendale, PA — ATM switching pioneer) and RELTEC Corporation (broadband access equipment) in 1999, funded by GEC's sale of its defence arm to BAE Systems [Confirmed] — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FORE_Systems, https://www.wpxi.com/archive/this-day-april-26-1999-fore-systems-warrendale-sold-london-company/3IFU4X7T5JF5LB5VJ4H2IUAPRI/

Device types

ATM switches, ATM network interface adapters [Likely] — https://www.procureinc.com/manufacturer/FORE_Systems_-_Marconi_-_Ericsson/, https://www.artisantg.com/TestMeasurement/72679-1/Ericsson-Marconi-FORE-Systems-ASX-200BX-ATM-Switch

Notable products

FORE Systems ForeRunner ASX-200BX ATM switch, LE-155 ATM network interface adapter [Likely] — https://www.artisantg.com/TestMeasurement/72679-1/Ericsson-Marconi-FORE-Systems-ASX-200BX-ATM-Switch, https://www.memory4less.com/fore-network-switch-le-155

Registration date

Unknown — IEEE's public OUI registry publishes no assignment dates; a third-party aggregator shows an "initial registration" of 22 April 1998 for 00:20:48, but this is that database's own crawl artifact, not an IEEE fact

[Confirmed absence of IEEE date] — https://maclookup.app/macaddress/002048/history

Distinct sibling registrants (do NOT fold into this entry)

Marconi Communications Inc. (00:B0:48, Irving, TX), Marconi Communication GmbH (00:A0:FA, Germany), Marconi plc (00:00:32), Marconi Electronics Ltd. (00:00:96), Marconi SpA (00:A0:AD), TTC Marconi s.r.o. (88:96:76) [Confirmed] — the IEEE MA-L registry, the Wireshark manufacturer database

Security note

no CVE or active-exploitation reporting found for this legacy, long-discontinued hardware line; only generic legacy-EOL risk applies (no vendor firmware/security support since the mid-2000s wind-down) [Confirmed absence of findings] — targeted search performed, no results found