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Citizens Telephone Cooperative Selects Occam Networks BLC 6000

BLC 6000 System Chosen for its Ability to Integrate with Existing Citizens Network Infrastructure While Enabling Future Customer and Service Expansion


SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Aug. 4, 2003 – Occam Networks Inc. (OTCBB: OCCM), a supplier of innovative Ethernet and IP-based loop carrier equipment to telecommunications companies worldwide, today announced Citizens Telephone Cooperative, a Virginia-based independent operating company has selected Occam Networks' BLC 6000 System to provide voice and data services to subscribers. The BLC 6000 was chosen for its ability to quickly and easily integrate with the existing equipment in the Citizens network while supporting future expansion of additional services to more customers. Citizens Telephone Cooperative, which is using Rural Utilities Service funds to purchase the BLC 6000 system, will initially deploy voice and high-speed Internet and also plans to eventually provide video services as well.

“We wanted a solution that would let us expand our service offerings by allowing us to deliver data and eventually video services in addition to customers' existing voice service,” said Danny Vaughn, network manager at Citizens Telephone Cooperative. “We considered a variety of different platforms and even visited several vendors but chose the Occam BLC 6000 for its ability to easily integrate into our existing network and make it easy for our technicians to quickly provision services.”

Occam Networks' BLC 6000 System is based on the Intelligent Blade Interconnect Architecture (IBIA), which provides cost-effective low, medium or high capacity configurations. The ‘blades' are deployed in all configurations in both the remote terminal and the central office. This system enables universal sparing, lower cost-of-platform deployment and very simple training and operations management. The system allows carriers to distribute a high-capacity system in low-capacity environments and scale to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding subscriber base.

“The technology and architecture of our BLC 6000 System are ideally suited to Citizens' current and future service deployment goals,” said Russ Sharer, vice president of marketing and business development at Occam Networks. “Carriers like Citizens are seeing a growing opportunities to provide revenue-generating services and we're pleased to help them deliver a platform that allows them to provide all types of services to existing and new customers.”

About Occam Networks Inc.
Occam Networks Inc. develops and markets a suite of Broadband Loop Carriers, innovative Ethernet- and IP-based loop carrier platforms that enable telecommunications service providers to profitably deliver a variety of traditional as well as packetized voice, broadband and Internet Protocol (IP) services from a single, converged, all-packet access network. Occam is headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif. Additional information can be found at www.occamnetworks.com.

Portions of this press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future performance of Occam Networks. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from any future performance suggested in such statements. Rapidly changing technologies and market conditions may require changes to Occam's products. Occam does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please also refer to the company's most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, annual report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC. These filings contain and identify other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.