Seven Iowa Telcos Select Occam Networks’ BLC 6000 System to Offer

Press Releases

Occam Networks Announces Scott County Telephone Cooperative's Selection of the BLC 6000 Platform to Build New Triple Play Network

Cooperative Will Provide Rural Subscribers in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee with Voice, High-Speed Data and Video Services Equal to or Better than Large Metropolitan Areas

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – August 4, 2004 Occam Networks Inc. (OTCBB: OCCM) , a supplier of innovative Ethernet and IP-based loop carrier equipment to telecommunications companies worldwide, today announced that Scott County Telephone Cooperative (SCTC), a 6,200 line independent operating company (IOC) in Gate City, Va., has selected its BLC 6000 platform to deliver voice, video and high-speed data to its rural residential subscribers.

“The area we serve is predominately rural with very limited telecommunications options,” said Bill Franklin, CEO for SCTC. “Our mission is to provide our subscribers with the same services they would find in any large metropolitan area. Our ability to deliver these new services plays a key role in our ability to generate new revenue – revenue that will allow us to continue to provide high-quality services that will aid in the economic development of the area.”

SCTC evaluated products from six other vendors during a six-month process before selecting the Occam BLC 6000 for its triple play network. Since the IOC is considering a move to a Softswitch architecture in the future, it wanted a true IP/Ethernet platform that could integrate easily with a Softswitch while supporting its existing switch technology. SCTC also needed a platform that had the flexibility and scalability to easily meet the anticipated demand for these and other new services.

“It was important to SCTC that we work with an established vendor who could support us as we roll out and evolve our network,” Franklin commented. “It was obvious from our conversations with existing Occam customers that we could trust Occam to be a stable, responsive partner over the long term.”

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 to enable 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.

“IOCs view triple play as a major driver for new services that can directly impact their bottom line,” said Russ Sharer, vice president of sales and marketing for Occam Networks. “We see these companies quickly closing the ‘Digital Divide' as they make greater progress in delivering the triple play vision than many of the other larger metropolitan carriers.”

About Scott County Telephone Cooperative
Chartered in 1951, Scott County Telephone Cooperative (SCTC) is an independent operating company serving Scott County, Va. and Hancock County, Tenn. The Cooperative includes three wholly owned subsidiaries including Scott Telecom and Electronics, Inc. (STE), Scott County Long Distance and MountaiNet. SCTC serves 5,500 subscribers with 6,200 phone lines, STE serves 3,800 cable TV customers, Scott County Long Distance has 4,200 customers, and MountaiNet provides Internet access to 8,000 subscribers in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee and resells local dial tone to 5,000 customers. SCTC is also a partner in a cellular partnership which serves 38,000 customers in Eastern and Middle Tennessee. SCTC is located in Gate City, Va. and is a member of the IRIS network group.

About Occam Networks Inc.
Occam Networks Inc. develops and markets innovative Broadband Loop Carrier networking equipment that enable telephone companies to deliver voice, data and video services. Based on Ethernet and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies, Occam's equipment allows telecommunications service providers to profitably deliver traditional phone services, as well as advanced voice-over-IP, residential and business broadband, and digital television services through a single, 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.