Corning Enriches Specifications of World-Renowned Single-Mode Optical Fibers.

Business/Technology Editors

Optical Fiber Communications 2002

Booth No. 3021

CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 2002

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) announced enhanced specifications for three of its world-renowned single-mode optical fibers: SMF-28(TM), SMF-28e(TM) and LEAF(R) fibers.

The specification improvements, which reaffirm Corning single-mode fibers as industry-leading in product consistency and specifications, are designed to provide increased performance and value to network operators and cable manufacturers.

Corning has improved optical and geometry specifications to premium levels for all three fibers -- providing best-in-class performance to network operators. As of today, all SMF-28, SMF-28e and LEAF fibers manufactured at Corning's worldwide facilities meet these new specifications.

The attenuation specifications for the three fibers have been improved up to 25% compared with previous specified values. Additionally, both SMF-28e and LEAF fibers are introducing a new attenuation specification at 1625 nm of less than 0.24 dB/km, enabling emerging L-band technology and providing the best specification at this wavelength of any low water peak fiber or non-zero dispersion-shifted fiber (NZ-DSF) in the industry. These new specifications will afford network providers greater flexibility in the design of their world-class optical networks.

The three fibers have also received tighter geometry specifications for cladding diameter tolerance, an improvement of 30% to an unsurpassed level of 125.0 +/- 0.7 (mu)m. Fiber cladding diameter is important to fiber-optic installers when splicing -- or permanently joining -- optical fibers during network deployment. This fiber geometry improvement lowers connection losses and improves splice yields -- especially with passive mass-alignment splicing applications where core alignment is determined by the physical parameters of the fiber. Improved connection efficiency reduces overall installation time and lowers network costs.

Additionally, Corning has improved several other attributes in the SMF-28 and SMF-28e fibers product line. The addition of a 60 mm diameter European design standard for both products creates the most comprehensive suite of bending specifications in the industry. In addition, for SMF-28e fiber, the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) specification has been dramatically improved to a link design value of less than 0.08 ps/vkm, and the attenuation vs. wavelength performance for the 1285-1330 nm and 1525-1575 nm windows has been tightened by 40%, reaffirming SMF-28e fiber as the best low water peak standard single-mode fiber on the market.

"Continuous quality improvement is not just a buzzword at Corning, it's the standard by which we measure the operations of our business and service to our customers," said Alan Eusden, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Optical Fiber. "We are committed to ensuring that the fibers we offer are consistently the best on the market, offering the low-cost and ultra-reliability advantages that our customers have come to expect from Corning."

SMF-28 fiber, the world's most widely deployed fiber, offers high performance in 1310 and 1550 nm applications and excellent splicing and handling capability. SMF-28e fiber, an extension of the standard single-mode product line, boasts superior low water peak performance with specified performance covering a broad operating spectrum from 1285 nm to 1625 nm.

LEAF fiber, the world's most advanced NZ-DSF, has a patented large effective area to allow higher levels of power to be transmitted through the fiber than standard NZ-DSFs, minimizing the non-linear effects that degrade system performance. With the announcement of these new specifications, LEAF fiber continues to facilitate bandwidth cost-reduction for today's most advanced and economically competitive networks.

Conversion of fiber and cable manufacturing inventories has begun. For cabled fiber incorporating these new specifications, network operators may contact their preferred supplier of cabled Corning Optical Fiber for specific availability.

Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) creates leading-edge technologies for the fastest-growing markets of the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products for the telecommunications industry; and high-performance displays and components for television, information technology and other communications-related industries. The company also uses advanced materials to manufacture products for scientific, semiconductor and environmental markets. Corning revenues for 2001 were $6.3 billion.

For more information on Corning optical fiber, please visit www.corning.com/opticalfiber