Ciena Corporation formally announced today the introduction of the Ciena MultiWaveTM 1600 Transmission System. First shipments are scheduled for next month.

The Ciena MultiWaveTM product line is a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system that is capable of transmitting up to sixteen (16) discrete optical channels over one fiber pair. Each channel is bit-rate transparent from 150 Mb/s to 2.4 Gb/s and operates with existing SONET/SDH/Asynch fiber optic terminals. This system incorporates optical line amplifier repeaters to extend the transmission range, and it offers integrated network management facilities.

"Our system addresses the need for more bandwidth which is the result of a continuing trend toward implementation of survivable ring architectures and the introduction of new broadband services,' states Pat Nettles, President and CEO of Ciena. Simply put, Ciena' s new system provides 40 Gb/s capacity over 600 kilometers on one fiber pair today,' said Steve Chaddick, Ciena' s Vice President, Product Development. "It' s an immediate solution to fiber constraint problems."

The Ciena MultiWaveTM 1600 System protects the carrierís existing investment in transmission equipment, frees up fiber to enable deployment of survivable networks and increases capacity for new services. It also provides rapid incremental expansion and eliminates repeater sites and regenerators, thereby delaying expensive fiber builds and reducing equipment costs.

"Specifically, a single Ciena optical amplifier can replace sixteen electronic regenerators simplifying network operations,' states David Huber, Chief Technology Officer of Ciena.

"The increasing demand for transmission bandwidth in the long-haul networks has placed harsh demands on the public network infrastructure. By enabling network service providers to obtain substantial additional capabilities from their installed plant, Ciena is creating significant value and benefits for all network users. We have responded to the bandwidth problem by offering the first commercially available sixteen (16) channel DWDM system,' Nettles concluded.

Ciena Corporation develops, manufactures and markets high-capacity fiber optic transmission systems for public networks. These systems unlock fiber bandwidth, improve network reliability and significantly reduce the cost of providing new broadband services. Ciena is providing real-life solutions today to combat the emerging bandwidth and capacity needs long-distance carriers will be faced with tomorrow.

About Ciena

Ciena is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they compete. With focused innovation, Ciena brings together the reliability and capacity of optical networking with the flexibility and economics of Ethernet, unified by a software suite that delivers the industry’s leading network automation. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website. For more information, visit //www.ciena.com/