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GST Telecommunications becomes First Carrier to Deploy CIENA's Long-Haul and Short-Haul DWDM Equipment Across Its Vita Network

CIENA's MultiWave Products Launched Together

Ciena Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN) today announced that GST Telecommunications, Inc. (NASDQ:GSTX) is the first carrier to optically integrate its long-haul network with portions of its local network using Ciena's MultiWave Sentry™ and MultiWave® Firefly dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems. Ciena's DirectConnect technology enables GST to do this integration optically without the use of SONET/SDH multiplexers or regenerators. The application, which has been deployed as part of GST's Virtual Integrated Transport and Access (VITA) network, is now carrying customer traffic.

"Combining Ciena's DWDM equipment allows GST to leverage its VITA network and increase bandwidth while using less equipment and eliminating unnecessary SONET gear," stated Joe Basile, president and chief executive officer of GST. "Perhaps even more significant is that we've built the foundation to rapidly expand our capacity to meet increased customer bandwidth requirements and to maximize our ATM, frame relay and high-speed IP backbone services while effectively managing our capital expenditures."

GST recently announced the turn up of 13 cities on its "next generation" VITA network. The VITA network combines GST's voice and data networks onto a single networking platform providing GST with improved economics and greater versatility of services for its customers. GST has deployed Ciena equipment as part of its VITA network infrastructure. All of GST's networks are DWDM compatible.

Currently, GST has deployed Ciena's long-haul MultiWave Sentry 1600 on its fiber routes from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Phoenix as well as the route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ciena's short-haul MultiWave Firefly is now deployed in Las Vegas and Phoenix, allowing GST to move out of leased space and into GST's own hub.

"As the lines blur between integrated communications providers (ICPs) and interexchange carriers (IXCs), it becomes more apparent that the optical integration of long-haul and local networks using DWDM products is equally beneficial to local carriers and IXC's," said Patrick Nettles, chief executive officer and president at Ciena Corporation. "IXCs that lease fiber pairs and office space from other carriers could see the same operational savings as GST using this solution."

Ciena's DirectConnect technology enables carriers to mix SONET/SDH, ATM and IP traffic on a common optical network while eliminating the intervening synchronous layer on builds of ATM and IP networks. It also simplifies network architectures, lowers the cost of bandwidth by eliminating traditional SONET/SDH regenerators and enables scalable in-service network expansion as additional bandwidth is required by customers.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Additional information on Ciena's DirectConnect technology as well as photos of the MultiWave Firefly and the MultiWave Sentry are available. To obtain this information or photo, please call Ciena's Marketing Department by telephone at 410/865-8665.