Astral Point Installs Beta Version of ON 7000 Integrated Optical Transport Node in ILEC Facility; ILEC Testing Node For Build-Out of Next-Gen Metro Optical Network.

Business/Technology Editors

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2001

Astral Point Communications, Inc. said today it has installed a beta version of its ON 7000 Integrated Optical Transport Node in an ILEC (Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier) facility for next-generation optical transport network trials.

The ON 7000 node was installed last week at the ILEC site for evaluation and eventual deployment in SONET-based metropolitan optical networking applications.

The release of the ON 7000 is significant because it represents the first deployment of a new generation of SONET-based transport nodes that offer high return-on-investment benefits for carriers by supporting both the legacy revenue services base and new high-bandwidth applications such as Gigabit Ethernet in metropolitan optical networks.

"This release represents the culmination of an intensive one-year development effort triggered by feedback from our customers and prospects. The ON 7000 system is a rapid response to the need for low-cost, high-performance nodes capable of preserving carriers' current metro network revenues while supporting the rapid addition of new applications. We expect the product to play a key role in leveraging the benefits of SONET-based technology in metropolitan networks to offer a new generation of services," said Raj Shanmugaraj, president and chief executive officer of Astral Point Communications.

The ON 7000 node delivers high-ROI networking functionality in metropolitan optical transport networks by combining density, performance and cost-savings features with innovations that assure forward-looking investment protection.

For example, the node incorporates best-in-class capabilities of a SONET add-drop multiplexer (ADM), digital cross-connect (DCS) and, as an option, a dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM) in a single platform that is one-sixth the size of the elements it replaces. The ON 7000 aggregates up to three times more DS3, three times more OC3, and six times more OC192 capabilities than currently available on other metro nodes. Another market-leading benefit of the ON 7000 is that it can groom to STS1 and VT1.5 granularity at this scale. Direct support for DWDM optics on its high-speed ring interfaces ensures a very efficient and economical hand-off to emerging inter-office or regional DWDM networks.

By consolidating three traditional networking elements in a single platform, the ON 7000 node provides a solution that requires 75 percent less space and power than competing vendors and a capital equipment savings of more than 60 percent. Significant operational savings are realized because the ON 7000 supports Telcordia's OSMINE OSS's and an open interface that provides plug-in support for a carrier's existing OSS infrastructure.

Beta testing, a traditional step in the roll-out of technology products, involves the shipment of production-ready products to prospective users for final testing and evaluation of functional readiness just prior to final production.

About Astral Point

Privately held Astral Point Communications, Inc., of Chelmsford, MA, develops best-in-class equipment to manage optical bandwidth for existing and new services in SONET-based metropolitan optical networks. The company's high-ROI network elements enable carriers to reduce capital equipment, operating, service and support and related costs significantly in many applications. Its forward-looking commitment to network investment protection is demonstrated by the advanced scalability, extensibility and manageability features of its products. The ON 7000 node, as noted, combines OC192 SONET transport with dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) in a single platform far smaller and less expensive that alternative solutions. The company's ON 5000 Optical Services Node provides low-cost, low-speed traffic aggregation that maximizes the use of existing optical bandwidth and simplifies service deployments and upgrades in metro applications. Astral Point is a leader among metro equipment vendors in ensuring that its entire product family is certified OSMINE compliant for integration with ILECs' existing OSS infrastructures.