ADVA Optical Networking Launches Industry's Lowest-Cost, Smallest-Footprint Access Solution for Carrier Data Services.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MUNICH, Germany & MAHWAH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2003

New FSP 1500 enables carriers to roll-out business data services

across established SDH networks to enterprises of any size - at three

times lower cost than any competing next-generation solution

ADVA Optical Networking (FSE: ADV), a leading global provider of optical networking solutions, today announced a new access solution based on Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) technology for telecommunications carriers, the Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 1500. Part of ADVA's fifth generation of products, the FSP 1500 enables carriers to quickly and cost-effectively deploy Ethernet, storage, and legacy voice services in a variety of configurations over their existing Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) networks to enterprise customers of all sizes.

"Carriers are focused on maximizing return on their existing SDH network infrastructure, yet this infrastructure is unable to provide optimal performance for the growing number of bandwidth-intensive data services," stated Dr. Michael Ritter, Vice President Technology Strategy at ADVA. "ADVA is the first to market with a GFP standards-compliant customer premise solution for data services over established SDH networks - at a price point and simplicity of operation which make a broad roll-out for carriers easily achievable."

Installed at the customer premise site, the FSP 1500 serves as a network termination device for next-generation SDH and metro Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transport networks. The most attractive feature about the FSP 1500 is its price for performance: a three times lower cost than any competing next-generation solution on the market today. The platform seamlessly aggregates up to eight local area network (LAN), storage, and voice applications on a combined STM-16 interface. Ideal for deployment at customer premise sites, the system has a rack-mountable, 1U (45 mm) shelf that uses hot-swappable, Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) optical interfaces. It supports a wide range of high bit-rate data services at native speed: 10/100 Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and E1 voice services.

"The FSP 1500 highly complements our existing metro product portfolio and leverages on our technology, customer, and applications strength. It will help our customers dramatically improve their new data and storage services and enable ADVA to expand our addressable market opportunity into SDH and Ethernet access networks," stated Brian P. McCann, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at ADVA.

The FSP 1500 utilizes the most recent ITU standards designed to make existing SDH networks more data aware and enable smooth, seamless voice and data interworking: GFP, Virtual Concatenation (VCAT), and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS). Leveraging all three methods makes the FSP 1500 a unique SDH access solution capable of in-service upgrades and highly valuable to carriers who plan to extensively roll out Ethernet and storage services to their enterprise customer base. The FSP 1500 is fully integrated with ADVA's network management software to ensure that carriers can provision, monitor, and manage services from any node in the network.

More information about the FSP 1500 product and key applications can be found on ADVA's website at www.advaoptical.com.

ABOUT ADVA OPTICAL NETWORKING

ADVA Optical Networking is a leading global provider of optical networking solutions for rapid and cost-effective provisioning of high-speed data, storage, voice, and video services in the metropolitan area. ADVA's carrier-class portfolio is comprised of the Fiber Service Platform family of products - explicitly designed to ensure the lowest total cost of ownership. ADVA's solutions have been deployed at over 70 carriers and service providers (including PTTs, RBOCs, LECs, and IXCs) and more than 500 enterprises worldwide. ADVA's products are sold through an international network of blue-chip distribution partners in addition to its own direct sales force. Further information about ADVA Optical Networking: www.advaoptical.com.

PUBLISHED BY:

ADVA AG Optical Networking, Martinsried/Munich and Meiningen,
Germany
ADVA Optical Networking Inc., Mahwah/New Jersey, USA
ADVA Optical Networking Corp., Tokyo, Japan
www.advaoptical.com