Press Releases
Occam Networks Selected By FairPoint Communications For Major Network Upgrade
Company to Assist with Broadband Expansion in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
Santa Barbara, CA (January 17, 2008) - Occam Networks® Inc. (NASDAQ: OCNW) today announced it has been selected by FairPoint Communications, Inc (NYSE: FRP) as the lead access equipment provider for a major broadband upgrade of FairPoint's network in northern New England once the proposed acquisition of Verizon's wireline business in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine is closed.
"The FairPoint selection committee combined with an independent engineering firm to conduct a thorough evaluation of the leading access equipment providers," said Peter Nixon, president of FairPoint. "Occam was selected based on superior product features, their unique capability to handle the scale of our project and the strong track record they have compiled with our FairPoint properties over the years. We've made firm commitments to expand broadband to the residents of Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire, and we are confident our partnership with Occam will equal success."
Defined as a multi-phase upgrade project, the first phase will include building 10Gig redundant Ethernet rings to over 200 Central Offices throughout the three-state region. Phase two will add over 50,000 DSL lines to rural areas that previously did not have broadband service. A key equipment supplier of Occam's is Laconia, New Hampshire-based Wilcom. Wilcom has been manufacturing telephone line test equipment and transmission products in New England since 1967.
"The Occam equipment positions FairPoint to deliver high-speed broadband services over both copper and fiber to residential and business subscribers," said Michael Brown, vice president of access networks at FairPoint. "We wanted an end-to-end IP Network using the best-in-class equipment, and Occam outperformed all other vendors."
"FairPoint's challenge and commitment to deliver superior broadband and Ethernet services to Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire is shared by all of us at Occam," said Nathan Harrell, Occam's vice president of worldwide sales. "We can deliver the products and services that FairPoint requires while building a 21st century infrastructure on Ethernet."
The proposed acquisition has received regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission and is awaiting formal approval from the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The Public Service Board in Vermont and the Public Utilities Commission in New Hampshire have yet to rule on the transaction.
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.
About FairPoint
FairPoint Communications, Inc. is an industry leading provider of communications services to rural and small urban communities across the country. Today, FairPoint owns and operates 30 local exchange companies in 18 states offering advanced communications with a personal touch including local and long distance voice, data, Internet, video and broadband services. FairPoint is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FRP. Learn more at www.fairpoint.com.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements by FairPoint that are not based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and similar expressions and statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include those risks described from time to time in FairPoint's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including, without limitation, the risks described in FairPoint's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K on file with the SEC. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All information is current as of the date this press release is issued, and FairPoint undertakes no duty to update this information. Source: FairPoint Communications, Inc., www.fairpoint.com.
FairPoint has filed, and the SEC has declared effective, a registration statement in connection with the proposed merger. FairPoint urges investors to read this document and other materials filed and to be filed by FairPoint relating to the proposed merger because they contain and will contain important information. Investors can obtain copies of the registration statement, as well as other filed documents containing information about FairPoint and the proposed merger, at www.sec.gov, the SEC's website. Investors may also obtain free copies of these documents and FairPoint's other SEC filings at www.fairpoint.com under the Investor Relations section, or by written request to FairPoint Communications, Inc., 521 E. Morehead Street, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28202, Attention: Investor Relations.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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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 |
Occam Networks and Occam BLC 6000 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Occam Networks Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.