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CIENA Introduces Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer to MultiWave Product Line

Ciena Corporation has added the MultiWaveTM 1600 Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (OADM) to its family of fiber optic bandwidth solutions, it was announced today. The OADM was designed to o perate in a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system and enables carriers to reroute traffic to different geographic areas without requiring extensive termination equipment.

Ciena will be conducting live demonstrations of the OADM at the fiber optic industryís OFC Show in Dallas, Texas, February 18-20 in Booth #1627. First shipments of the new OADM product are expected this quarter.

The OADM product allows up to four OC-48 (STM-16) channels to be optically dropped or added at any optical amplifier site without interruption to other channels. It features three optical channel types: (1) Express channels which pass through the OADM without being added or dropped; (2) Drop channels which drop selected channels at the OADM site; (3) and Add channels which are inserted at the site. Broadcast capabilities on the OADM enable up to four channels to be dropped and continue uninterru pted as express channels.

Ciena Announces Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer/2

Flexibility is key to carriers who offer a range of services to their customers and require the multiplexing capability to add or drop four channels in each direction from among an optimum range of optical channel types. Carrier network equipment c osts are reduced because OADM eliminates the need for back to back terminals. Module commonality with the MultiWaveTM1600 system reduces spares inventory and lowers equipment costs while the integrated menu-driven craft int erface simplifies maintenance functions for carriers. The MultiWaveTM1600 expands transmission capacity of a single fiber by 16 times without requiring significant modification or upgrade to transmission equipment. The sys tem permits transmission of optical signals at rates of up to 2.5 Gb/s per channel over routes of up to 600 kilometers (375 miles) without opto-electronic regeneration.

Ciena believes it is a worldwide market leader in field deployment of open architecture DWDM systems for long distance telecommunications carriers. These systems enable carriers to exploit fiber bandwidth, improve network reliability and reduce th e cost of providing broadband services. Ciena is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CIEN.

Note to editor: Photos of the new MultiWaveTM1600 Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer are available.