CIENA UNVEILS GROWING PORTFOLIO OF NETWORK SOLUTIONS TO ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 VISITORS

Company Showcases New Layer 2, Layer 3 and Extended Storage Capabilities As Part of Its Comprehensive, Integrated Network Solutions; Partners Laurel Networks and Luminous Networks Join CIENA in ITU Telecom Village

Linthicum, MD — 10/01/2003

Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), a leading provider of innovative network solutions, will highlight its LightWorks™ Services initiative at ITU Telecom World 2003, complete with product displays and temporary relocation of corporate headquarters operations to the event’s Telecom Village, an exclusive office park built within the general exhibition.

Ciena will participate in ITU Telecom World 2003 at the Geneva Palexpo from October 12-18. Ciena’s presence in the Telecom Village will include corporate offices, a product laboratory, application kiosks and a hospitality lounge. Guests are invited to join company executives and product specialists to hear more about LightWorks Services, Ciena’s strategy for helping service providers use their existing infrastructure to make current services more profitable while also capitalizing on new enterprise data service markets – without having to build and manage overlay data networks.

Ciena’s Telecom Village building (Hall 6) also will host strategic partners Laurel Networks and Luminous Networks, who are helping expand Ciena’s suite of solutions and its ability to provide enhanced value through extended, integrated network solutions. Visitors will learn how these relationships strengthen Ciena’s value proposition for comprehensive, next-generation networking solutions, further improving the economics of network ownership and allowing carriers to evolve their infrastructure for more profitable data services on one unified, automated network.

Ciena will display its portfolio of innovative network solutions, including CoreDirector® CI, CoreStream™, MetroDirector K2™, ONLINE Metro™, ONLINE Edge™, DN 7000™ and CN 2000™ Storage Extension Platform (formerly known as OUSP 2000), plus the Luminous PacketWave™ platform and Laurel ST200™ Service Edge Router. The product laboratory will illustrate how Ciena helps carriers increase margins on current services and grow revenue by offering new, reliable data services using the existing infrastructure.

“Ciena is committed to improving customer value and helping service providers capitalize on new market opportunities, which is illustrated by our aggressive moves to integrate leading data networking technologies across our solutions,” said Francois Locoh-Donou, vice president of marketing at Ciena. “ITU Telecom World is an ideal venue for Ciena to effectively communicate to our customers the economic advantages of the LightWorks Services approach, as well as to showcase the compelling benefits of an automated network solution.”


About Ciena

Ciena specializes in network transition. We provide the flexible platforms, intelligent software and professional services to build converged networks for enhanced services and applications. With a growing global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.
Note to Investors
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions of Ciena (the Company) that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release including, but not limited to, Ciena’s participation in ITU Telecom World 2003, are 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 in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, which include the risk factors disclosed in the Company’s Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2003. Forward looking statements include statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Press Contacts:
Nicole Anderson
Ciena Corporation
(877) 857 -7377
pr@ciena.com
Investor Contacts:
Marie Downing
Ciena Corporation
(888) 243-6223
ir@ciena.com