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LINTHICUM, MD. (March 16) BUSINESS WIRE -March 16, 1998-- New DWDM
Technology Secures Sprint's Lead in Data Communications
Sprint (NYSE:FON) and CIENA Corporation (Nasdaq:CIEN) together
announced today that Sprint has chosen CIENA's 40-channel MultiWave(R)
4000 scaleable dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system for
deployment next month in the Sprint network. Such a move will enable
Sprint to immediately increase its current network capacity by 250%,
and eventually by 600% to deliver high-performance communication
services to Sprint's business and data customers. In addition, both
parties have signed a three year supply agreement for the MultiWave
4000.
Sprint's use of the MultiWave 4000 will mark the first time that a
long-distance carrier has deployed a 40-wavelength system in its
network. In early 1996, Sprint began installing CIENA's 16-channel
product, once again leading the industry in DWDM deployment.
Based on design innovations recently introduced by CIENA and announced
separately today, the MultiWave 4000 is scaleable on a
channel-by-channel basis from 40 channels, or 100 Gb/s, to 96 channels,
or 240 Gb/s, which enables Sprint to protect its investment in its
existing fiber-optic network and expand capacity in the future. Such a
capability will enable Sprint to deliver high-performance solutions
more efficiently and at lower cost.
When coupled with Sprint's OC-48 SONET equipment, 96-channel DWDM
equals almost 3.1 million phone calls over a single fiber pair --
enough capacity to carry all the voice traffic of all the major long
distance carriers. This capacity also enables Sprint to handle the
growing demands for multimedia and high-bandwidth data applications.
"As Sprint plans for continued network and traffic growth,
scaleability is critical," said Marty Kaplan, senior vice president and
chief technology officer at Sprint, who recently was named America's
Network "Technologist of the Year." "CIENA has consistently delivered
high-capacity DWDM systems to help meet the needs of Sprint's
customers. With the MultiWave 4000, Sprint will continue its leadership
position in voice and broadband services."
"After more than a year of shipping our 16-channel, 40Gb/s DWDM
systems to Sprint, we are gratified that CIENA has received this
additional vote of confidence, especially because it follows Sprint's
industry-wide review of competing DWDM systems," said Patrick Nettles,
CIENA's president and chief executive officer. "The provisioning of
greater bandwidth is critical to every carrier, and we're very pleased
that when Sprint faced a real decision for an actual 200 plus Gb/s
deployment, CIENA was selected."
The contract is a three-year addition to an existing Sprint/CIENA
16-channel supply agreement, and follows successful acceptance-testing
of a fully populated 40-channel MultiWave 4000 DWDM system at Sprint's
testing laboratories in Burlingame, CA. NOTE TO INVESTORS
Forward-looking statements in this release, including statements
regarding the expected timing of installation of CIENA's equipment in
the Sprint network during this quarter is based on information
available to the Company as of the date hereof. The Company's actual
results could differ materially from those stated or implied by such
forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated
with the Company's dependence on its major customers and their spending
patterns, including specifically the impact on the Company's near term
operating results of WorldCom's recently announced change in purchasing
practices, the challenge of transitioning to the manufacture of
multiple product lines in fiscal 1998, and the overall management of
its expansion. The forward-looking statements should be considered in
the context of these and other risk factors disclosed in the Company's
Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
February 19, 1998. ABOUT SPRINT
Sprint is a global communications company -- at the forefront in
integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services
and is one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint
built and operates the United States' only nationwide, all-digital,
fiber-optic network and is the leader in advanced data communications
services. Sprint has $15 billion in annual revenues and serves more
than 16 million business and residential customers. ABOUT CIENA
Based in Linthicum, Maryland, CIENA Corporation is a worldwide market
leader of open architecture, dense wavelength division multiplexing
(DWDM) systems for long-distance and local exchange carriers. CIENA's
DWDM solutions include the MultiWave(R) 1600 long-haul transport
system, WaveWatcher(R) network management software, the MultiWave
Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer, the MultiWave Sentry(TM) enhanced
long-distance transport system and the new MultiWave Firefly(TM) and
MultiWave Metro(TM) short-haul systems. Through its Alta subsidiary,
based in Norcross, GA, CIENA provides a range of engineering,
furnishing and installation (EF&I) services for telecommunications
service providers in the areas of transport, switching and wireless
communications.
CIENA's DWDM equipment expands the carrying capacity of fiber optic
networks by dividing the optical signal into several separate optical
channels or wavelengths. An optical fiber without DWDM technology
carries a single color of laser light, or a single wavelength, on which
travels approximately 32,000 voice or data transmissions. CIENA's DWDM
technology divides the single wavelength into multiple colors, or
channels, thereby multiplying the capacity of the fiber by the number
of channels and enabling service providers to expand bandwidth without
the expensive process of adding more fibers.
Additional information about CIENA can be found on its World Wide
Website: ciena.com.
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CONTACT: Press Contact: Investor Contact:
CIENA Corporation CIENA Corporation
Denny Bilter Suzanne DuLong
800/921-1144 888/243-6223
or Email: ir@CIENA.com
Sprint
Charles Fleckenstein
913/534-2924
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