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Technology Stocks : EXFO ELECTRO-OPTICALENGINEERING INC -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. K. G. who wrote (57)	9/15/2000 10:34:34 AM
From: Platter	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 94

EXFO (EXFO) 49 11/16: CIBC Wrld Mkts upgrades shares of fiber-optic test equipment maker to BUY from HOLD from briefing.com

To: D. K. G. who wrote (57)	9/19/2000 10:40:39 PM
From: D. K. G.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 94

Worldwide Installation Of Fiberoptic Cable Shows Rapid Growth telecomweb.com In 1999, worldwide installation of fiberoptic cable grew an unprecedented 39 percent, and 2000 has started with growth at an even faster clip, says a new report from KMI Corp., a Newport, R.I.-based research group specializing in fiberoptics. KMI analysts expect the growth rate for fiberoptic installations to be 42 percent in the year 2000. "We consider the jump in growth rate between 1999 and 2000 to be a good one," says Patrick Fay, analyst at KMI Corp. "Every year since the 1980s the growth rate has been above 20 percent. In 1994, the growth rate was 38 percent, in '95 it was 30 percent and then in '96 it was 28 percent and in '98 it was 21 percent. In 1999, it really bounced back, with a growth rate of 39 percent. "The bounce back was caused by a couple of things," Fay says. "The Internet caused bandwidth demand, which sparked fiber installations. Deregulation was another factor. It permitted a lot of companies to build networks in Europe. The sharing of rights of way was another factor. I don't know if it was easier to get access to rights of way, but more utilities and carriers are offering access to rights of way." The report, Worldwide Optical Fiber & Fiberoptic Cable Markets, does not find that fiber installations will continue at a 39 percent growth rate or higher. Instead, the report forecasts that the compound annual growth rate from 1999 to 2005 will be 29 percent. "A continued 39 percent to 40 percent growth rate would be unlikely," Fay says. "There is a capacity constraint on the amount of fiber that can be manufactured. And carriers are going to have to start making money on their services. A lot of carriers are getting hamstrung right now. GST Telecom filed for Chapter 11, and e.spire has had a difficult time with earnings." Fay says that the growth rate of terrestrial fiber installations is much stronger than the growth rate of oceanic fiber installations. The reason is that it is much cheaper to deploy terrestrial fiber. Plus, the fiber count deployed is usually higher in terrestrial fiber installations. For long-haul terrestrial networks, the fiber count is typically 72 to 96 strands on the low-end, and 216 to 288 strands on the high-end. The typical fiber count in a trans-Atlantic oceanic cable is eight strands. The report concludes that there is currently a fiber shortage. It has been caused by the simultaneous demand of many new operators. "There are thousands more operators than there were five years ago," Fay says. "And Latin America, Eastern Europe and India are now installing fiber." Demand for non-zero dispersion shifted fiber is high due to the increased deployment of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) equipment. Non-zero dispersion shifted fiber is optimized for DWDM networks. There were 4.5 million fiber kilometers of non-zero dispersion shifted fiber deployed in 1998, and in 1999, 11.4 million fiber kilometers were installed. The United States and Europe have experienced increased deployment, and on a smaller scale, China, Russia, Latin America and Australia. LAN-based fiber only has accounted for between 4 percent and 6 percent of overall demand. Fay does not expect that demand to increase much within the next few years, until demand for high-bandwidth to the desktop PC increases. For more information about the fiberoptic cable market, contact KMI Corp.. ====== Just throwing up some market stats for future reference. So in 1999 there was about 11.4km million of DWDM optimized fiber deployed and if the 222km/RTU number holds water (it may not) from the previous EXFO PR that gives an addressable market of approximately 51,351 RTUs for 1999. All the above is a specious bit of reasoning on my part.

To: D. K. G. who wrote (57)	10/17/2000 12:03:54 PM
From: D. K. G.	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 94

EXFO Receives RFTS Order in Excess of US$1 Million QUEBEC CITY, Quebec--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 2000--EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. (Nasdaq:EXFO - news; TSE:EXF. - news) announced today that Telefonica del Peru S.A.A. has placed an order in excess of US$1 million for the company's remote fiber test system (RFTS). Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica, which holds a majority interest in Telefonica del Peru, selected EXFO's solution for the first phase of its network monitoring project. EXFO's second-generation RFTS, better known as FiberVisor, will be used for the deployment. FiberVisor reduces network downtime with real-time monitoring and it is the only RFTS on the market that can provide DWDM network monitoring capabilities. ``We have a long-standing business relationship with Telefonica,'' said Juan-Felipe Gonzalez, Vice-President of International Sales at EXFO. ``They have used our test and measurement solutions for a number of years and have grown accustomed to our high-quality products and superior technical support. ``We provide them with peace of mind.'' EXFO will provide Telefonica del Peru with 19 remote test units (RTUs) that cover more than 3,400 kilometres of cable for a high-capacity voice and data network. Monitoring will extend from Zarumilla near Ecuador's border in the north to Santa Rosa close to Chile's border in the south, and from Desaguadero in the east to Arequipa in the west. Within Telefonica's network, an important link between Lince and Lurin carries traffic from a Pan-American submarine cable. To complicate matters, the cable in this span is operating at full capacity, which means FiberVisor must monitor live fiber instead of dark fiber. ``We offer highly accurate and reliable instruments for monitoring live fiber,'' Gonzalez added. ``This proved to be a determining factor in Telefonica's decision.'' FiberVisor is a permanently installed fault surveillance system in which EXFO test equipment is connected to a communications network. Strategically located RTUs continually check optical links and send test data to a centralized test system controller. Upon detecting a problem, the system sends out an alarm to a repair crew. Since FiberVisor features a sophisticated mapping system, problems can be located and fixed quickly, often before they result in costly downtime. The scalable FiberVisor system provides additional benefits such as network security, alarm management, cable and data management, open architecture for TMN compatibility, and DWDM monitoring capabilities. About EXFO EXFO is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of fiber-optic test, measurement, and monitoring instruments for the telecommunications industry. EXFO develops products mainly for two markets. Its Portable and Monitoring Division provides solutions primarily to telecommunications carriers, cable television companies, public utilities, private network operators, as well as third-party installers and equipment rental companies. Its Industrial and Scientific Division designs an extensive line of more sophisticated and higher performance instruments for manufacturers of optical components, value-added optical modules, and optical networking systems, as well as for research and development markets. ===== The BESTEL deal had 18 RTUs over 4,000km, this one has 19 over 3,400km. This PR also has some pricing in it, $1,000,000+ for 18 RTUs gives an approximate ASP of $55,555. If the deal is for equipment only. Impossible to tell although the BESTEL order was most likely in the million plus ball park.