Press Releases

Calient Networks Shatters Cost Barrier to Fiber Optic Cross-Connection Systems

FTTH CONFERENCE, LAS VEGAS, Nev. October 2, 2006 — Calient Networks, a leading supplier of carrier-class fiber optic cross-connection systems (FOCS), today announced that it has shattered the cost barriers preventing carriers from widespread implementation of remote, software-controlled fiber management needed to cope with explosive growth in their fiber networks. With significant design and manufacturing breakthroughs, Calient's new FOCS platform, called the DiamondWave® FiberConnect, provides an unprecedented range of critical fiber operations functions for any size fiber plant at the same or better cost, reliability and ease of use as the present mode of operation using manual patch panels.

"As Service Providers face a deluge of new fiber deployments, they fully understand that static patch-panels, manual testing and truck-based fault isolation in the fiber plant are costly and do not scale well," stated Charles Corbalis, CEO and president of Calient Networks. "The problem they face is that previous systems for controlling fiber remotely via software have been prohibitively expensive compared to the static patch panel solutions. This has now changed. Our FiberConnect product is priced an order of magnitude lower than previously available FOCS solutions and gives operators the ability to monitor, troubleshoot and rearrange the fiber plant remotely from the Network Operations Center. Service Providers can now cost-effectively modernize their outmoded fiber management operations and take hands out of the fiber plant."

The DiamondWave® FiberConnect solution is targeted at any carrier deploying large amounts of new fiber, from FTTX, video and wireless backhaul builds to data center and metro fiber rollouts. It has application for RBOCs, IOCs, CLECs and MSOs, Community Networks, wireless backhaul operators, data centers, test laboratories and a host of fiber-rich private network facilities. FiberConnect streamlines and centralizes network operations by enabling:

• Rapid, remote test and installation verification of fiber for new services, in 1/10th the normal time
• Certification of construction, separating fiber construction from service provisioning
• Automated fiber records management and real-time inventory
• Automated tap and test
• Optical layer protection and/or restoration
• Automated network testing
• Lights-out, remote site operation
• Instant fiber reconfiguration
• Automated optical power monitoring and alarming.

"Because triple-play customers are intolerant of network problems, FTTH operators will need new procedures such as remote, automated troubleshooting and fault isolation," said Michael Lebby, president of the Optoelectronics Industry Development Association. "At the same time, these FTTH deployments will result in vastly greater quantities of fiber terminations to be managed in the carriers' equipment locations, resulting in new operations challenges for network. New technology, such as Calient's automated fiber optic cross-connection system, can streamline testing and network management operations and help fiber-based carriers compete for broadband customers."

FiberConnect is available at cost levels closely comparable to what carriers spend to deploy and operate manual patch panels today. Because fiber-centric deployments are growing at 30% per year, operators clearly face a drastic change in their operations environment. FiberConnect is the only fiber management solution that can keep up with the rapid pace of fiber deployment.

FiberConnect streamlines fiber management operations in many applications:

• PON: Reduces fiber installation, test and verification time, costs; performs remote fault isolation; enables immediate restoration of service around faults; simplifies field technician training; grooms among mixed PON types in a service area.
• Point-to-Point Access Networks: Reduces truck rolls; enables precise technician dispatch when trouble is found; extends Network Operations Center expertise to fault site; diagnostic monitoring to pro-actively detect signal degradation; enables IP service monitoring to detect worms and viruses, service provider selection for Open Access Networks.
• Central Office Applications: Enables "lights dimmed" or "lights out" operation at remote offices; enables managed and verified demarcation point between networks or sub-networks; reduces fiber reconfiguration errors; increases reconfigured connection quality by reducing fiber handling problems.
• Data Centers: Provides reconfigurable interconnections between servers, routers, and outside connections without the need for manual reconfiguration; eliminates fiber connector contamination problems; provides demarcation between sub-networks.
• Wireless Backhaul: Provides intelligent management of rapidly growing fiber concentrations; grooms connections as services migrate from 2G to 3G to 4G; remotely and rapidly isolates faults, leading to higher service uptime.

About Calient Networks, Inc.
Calient Networks is a leader in fiber optic cross-connection systems. The company addresses critical access network and central office fiber deployment challenges faced by service providers, government agencies and optical network equipment providers. Calient's cost-shattering DiamondWave® systems make dynamic fiber management inexpensive and reliable, lower operations expenses and enable new revenue-generating optical services at the speed of the market.

Shipping DiamondWave® products to production networks since 2002, Calient has one of the largest installed fiber switch bases worldwide. The company provides its cost and performance benefits to the highly demanding access, backhaul, and central office fiber management markets. Calient is headquartered in San Jose, California, with additional engineering and manufacturing operations in Santa Barbara, California. For additional information about Calient, visit www.calient.net.

Calient, Calient Networks, the Calient Networks logo, DiamondWave, the DiamondWave logo and "Where Innovation Comes to Light" are registered trademarks of Calient Networks, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other marks used in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

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Copyright® 2006 Calient Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Media Contacts:
Jill Budzynski, Tina Tan
Market Ready Public Relations
763-548-8208
jmb@marketready.com
ttan@marketready.com