Acterna Selected by e-net for Service and Performance Monitoring of Fiber Network; Acterna to Test and Monitor Quality of Fiber Lines for Network Services, Reducing Time and Cost for Network Troubleshooting, Operation and Maintenance.

GERMANTOWN, Md., & LIMERICK, Ireland -- Acterna, the leader in test and management solutions for consumer and business broadband communications, today announced that e-net, the Managed Service Entity (MSE) charged by the government of Ireland with providing broadband services to all regions of Ireland, has purchased Acterna's Optical Network Management System (ONMS) to monitor the quality of service of its backbone, metro and fiber access networks. The agreement includes options for future service level agreement (SLA) and network support.

The Acterna ONMS was selected by e-net because it enables real-time service, test and performance monitoring over active/live fiber, which improves quality of service, especially for broadband services. Acterna's ONMS also helps e-net reduce time and costs associated with network troubleshooting, operation and maintenance and delivers automatic operation and maintenance tasks. These attributes allow e-net to guarantee its high-quality service to customers.

"As MSEs like e-net provide broadband services to the market, they must be prepared for the challenges associated with deploying new networks that can provide those services," said Enzo di Luigi, general manager for Acterna's Fiber Division. "This requires greater efficiency not just within the last mile, but throughout the fiber networks interlacing with other systems inside and outside the country. Deploying the Acterna ONMS allows e-net to confront head-on the capacity challenges associated with network deployment, and we are pleased to be working with the company to bring a reliable broadband solution to customers throughout Ireland."

Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) in Ireland

e-net's purchase of the Acterna ONMS comes at a critical period for the Irish broadband market. In a move to expand the availability of top-class broadband services outside the Dublin area, the Government has invested EUR 70 million in building a broadband platform around 27 cities and towns which is making fibre, duct, sub-duct and co-location facilities available to telecoms services providers and carriers.

The 27 MAN centres are: Athlone, Ballina/Kiltimagh, Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Carrickmacross, Cavan, Clonmel, Cork City, Dundalk, Drogheda, Dungarvan, Galway City, Gweedore, Kingscourt, Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Limerick City, Manorhamilton, Monaghan, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Roscommon, Sligo, Tullamore, Waterford City and Wexford.

The next phase of this broadband roll-out programme will embrace a further 35 towns. They are Athenry, Ballinasloe, Ballybofey/Stranolar, Bantry, Blarney, Carrigaline, Castleisland, Castlerea, Claremorris, Clifden, Clones, Cobh, Dingle, Furbo, Kenmare, Kildare, Killarney, Kinsale, Listowel, Longford, Maynooth, Midleton, Mitchelstown, Navan, Nenagh, Newbridge, Passage West, Rathangan, Ringaskiddy, Sallins, Skibereen, Tralee, Tramore, Trim, Youghal.

About Acterna's Optical Network Performance and Monitoring System (ONMS)

Residing on a server or desktop, Acterna's OFM software enables customers to address the state of the network from their fingertips. This powerful automated mapping, facilities management, and geographic information system (AM/FM/GIS) application consolidates data entered manually or through other applications. All fiber optic network documentation including fiber route maps, distribution panel graphics, and OTDR traces can be easily retrieved, cross-referenced, and shared among multiple users. Network operators have access to all of their networks' geographic and functional components and can track, document, and monitor an unlimited number of circuit wavelengths for each physical fiber path while O&M staff can initiate queries from any physical point in the network, including the field.

The Acterna RFTS offers network operators significant commercial advantage through increased productivity, reduced network down time and easier, faster network provisioning. The RFTS monitors the network continuously, alerting operators and managers to faults as they occur. The ONMS also provides real-time network status and performance with efficient preventative maintenance schedules, faster, low-cost service provisioning with efficient management of the cable installation and commissioning process, and rapid detection and accurate location of fiber and DWDM degradation.

About e-net

e-net is a wholly owned Irish Company based in Limerick established in 2000 to address the lack of broadband in the Regions and has been selected by the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources as the Managed Service Entity (MSE) for the State's regional broadband infrastructure. e-net is charged with managing, maintaining and operating Metropolitan Area Networks on behalf of the Irish Government for a period of 15 years and is committed to the development of the Regions in Ireland through encouraging the open delivery of affordable, state of the art broadband services. For more information please visit the e-net web site at www.e-net.ie.

About Acterna

Acterna is the world's largest provider of communications test solutions for telecommunications and cable network operators. A trusted communications test partner for more than eight decades, Acterna offers an unmatched portfolio of award-winning instruments, systems, software and services that help its customers reduce network costs while improving performance and reliability. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, USA - with European and Asia-Pacific operations based in Eningen, Germany and Hong Kong - Acterna serves nearly every major communications service provider and equipment manufacturer around the world through a skilled sales and support organization in 31 countries.

All Acterna company or product names mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of Acterna Inc. or one of its subsidiary companies.