Press Releases
Occam Networks' Gigabit FTTH Equipment Drives New Hope Network Upgrade
Funded by USDA's RUS Program, Project Will Convert Complete Service Area from Copper Loop-based Carrier to Point-to-point Fiber
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – January 16, 2008 - Occam Networks® Inc. (NASDAQ: OCNW), a leading supplier of innovative Ethernet and IP-based loop carrier equipment to telecommunications companies, announced today that New Hope Telephone Cooperative has selected Occam for the upgrading of its entire service network to point-to-point (P2P) Gigabit Ethernet fiber to the home (FTTH) network for all voice, data and video services. This next generation technology upgrade is made possible through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service program, commonly referred to as RUS.
Headquartered outside Huntsville, Alabama, New Hope Telephone Cooperative serves 6,000 homes and businesses in the townships of New Hope, Grant and Owens Cross Roads. To implement the system-wide replacement program, New Hope Telephone has purchased multiple components of Occam's Broadband Loop Carrier (BLC) system, including the BLC 6312 active FTTH Blade, the 6450 10-Gigabit Transport Blade and 2342 FTTH ONTs.
"We want to build an all IP-based network that offers top-of-the-line services with the maximum performance and protections for our customers," said Tom Wing, general manager of New Hope Telephone. "While most vendors are talking IP and Ethernet, Occam has been delivering it for over 5 years."
According to Russ Friedrich of Friedrich Associates, the engineering firm that managed the request for proposal process and the analysis for the RUS-funded project, Occam's products and support structure were a winning combination. "I reviewed a number of service platform options before selecting the system that would provide the optimal mix of services, security and support," said Friedrich. "Occam's active Ethernet system stood head and shoulders above all the available options I assessed for this project. It was a complex process, but a simple choice."
"It's a fast moving market for telcos and the kinds of services we must offer these days," said Wing. "We didn't merely choose Occam for what their products and services can do for our customers today. We chose them for the power and flexibility they offer for tomorrow's services."
"With their purchase of both the BLC 6312 and the BLC 6450, New Hope will be able to realize their vision of delivering a full range of advanced IP-based services to their subscribers," said Nathan Harrell, vice president of worldwide sales for Occam. "From true high speed internet to IPTV on-demand, we're proud to partner with New Hope to upgrade and enhance their customers' overall experience."
Work on the network upgrade has begun, and will continue through mid-2009.
About New Hope Telephone Cooperative
With more than fifty years of service to the community, New Hope Telephone Cooperative is a progressive and forward thinking telecommunications cooperative dedicated to providing the most advanced communications technology to the residents and businesses of New Hope, Grant and Owens Cross Roads, Alabama. Through a partnership with the USDA Rural Utility Service program, the company is continuing to expand its offerings, including Triple Play services.
About the Rural Utility Service (RUS)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program provides many programs for financing rural America's telecommunications infrastructure. The Traditional Telephone Loan program, for example, consists of hardship, cost of money, and guaranteed loans that finance voice telephone service. The Broadband Access Loan program provides loans for funding the costs of construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities to provide broadband service to eligible rural communities. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine program brings electronic educational resources to rural schools and improving health care delivery in rural America. Lastly, the Community Connect Grant program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide currently unserved areas with broadband service that fosters economic growth and public safety services.
About Occam Networks Inc.
Occam Networks' broadband access solutions empower service providers to offer profitable new voice, data and video services over copper and fiber. Occam systems deliver flexibility and scalability in a Triple Play world. Over 1.6 million BLC 6000 ports are currently deployed at over 260 service providers in North America and the Caribbean. For more information, please visit
www.occamnetworks.com.
Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements
Portions of this press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future performance of Occam Networks, including statements predicting increased adoption of products and technologies offered by Occam and the willingness and ability of our customers to purchase additional Occam products and upgrade their product offerings. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from any future performance suggested in such statements. In particular, rapidly changing technologies and market conditions may require changes to Occam's products, and the willingness of our customers to purchase upgraded products such as Triple Play will depend in part on customers' existing network configurations and any incremental costs associated with implementing upgrades. 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.
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Contact:
| Steve Masar Stearns Johnson Communications 1.415.397.7600 tjohnson@stearnsjohnson.com |
Russ Sharer Occam Networks 1.805.692.2910 rsharer@occamnetworks.com |
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