Press Release
Mescalero Apache Telecom Selects the Occam BLC 6000 to Boost Network Bandwidth for Delivering Triple Play Services
Tribally Owned Telco will Upgrade its Access Network to Ethernet and IP to Deliver ADSL2Plus and IP Video to Reservation
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – January 19, 2006 Occam Networks® Inc. (OTCBB: OCCM), a supplier of innovative Ethernet- and IP-based loop carrier equipment to telecommunications companies worldwide, today announced that Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. (MATI) has selected the company's Occam BLC 6000™ System to upgrade its access network to deliver higher bandwidth ADSL2Plus services to the Mescalero Apache reservation in New Mexico and the surrounding areas. The ultimate goal of the tribally owned and operated Telco is to deliver a full range of Triple Play services including IP Video to its subscribers.
"It is important to us to provide the members of the tribe with state-of-the-art telecommunication services like ADSL2Plus and IP Video,” said Godfrey Enjady, general manager and founder of MATI. “These kinds of services enable the tribe to meet its goals for economic development and enable us to provide our members with health care and other social services equal to that of all citizens.”
Of 576 recognized tribes in the United States, MATI is one of seven that provides telecommunication services to its members. The Telco has built one of the most up to date telecommunication infrastructures in the nation with a fiber ring that encompasses ninety percent of the Mescalero Apache Reservation and a MetaSwitch VP3510 Integrated Softswitch to deliver next-generation POTS and IP-based subscriber services.
Enjady continued, “We looked at products from two other vendors, but only Occam could meet our needs. We had already moved our network to all Ethernet transport, and we needed the IP portion to provide us with the flexibility we needed to create and deliver new features and services to our subscribers. The Occam BLC 6000 stood out as the one product that could integrate seamlessly into our network and provide us with the rich feature set that we needed. We feel this decision is validated by the fact that more than 30 service providers have now chosen to deploy Occam in their MetaSwitch-based networks.”
In addition to providing its members with cutting edge technology and innovative services, MATI assists other tribes with purchasing and operating tribally own telecommunication companies. MATI hosts dozens of visits annually from tribal leaders across the nation who come to analyze and study the MATI telecommunication network.
MATI will deploy the BLC 6000 in approximately 14 remote terminals, upgrading existing remote sites and building five new remote sites. The Telco expects to have the installation complete and begin delivering services over the BLC 6000 in the first quarter of 2006. At completion of the deployment, all 1500 access lines will be ADSL2Plus and IP video ready.
“It is rewarding for Occam to be able to help to bridge the digital divide,” said Russ Sharer, vice president of sales and marketing for Occam. “It is also rewarding to see so many telecommunication providers of all sizes embrace our vision of an all IP and Ethernet access network. The broad and growing adoption of these technologies in the telecommunication arena proves that a simple, flexible, cost-effective, high-bandwidth access network is truly the network to deliver next-generation services to the subscriber.”
About Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc.
Founded in 2001, Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. (MATI) is a full-service telecommunications company providing local and long distance telephone, high-speed Internet and wired and wireless local- and wide-area networking services. Wholly owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, MATI serves the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in N.M., Ruidoso and surrounding areas. The Tribal Corporation is dedicated to helping other Tribes purchase and operate their own telecommunications infrastructure. In 2003, MATI was honored as the Tribal Enterprise of the Year for all Indian Country from NCAIED. MATI has its headquarters in Mescalero, N.M. Visit www.matisp.net for more information.
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.