Corning Further Enhances Performance Attributes on Industry-Leading Single-Mode Optical Fibers.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

OFC 2003

CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 2003

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) announced further specification enhancements for Corning(R) SMF-28e(TM) and LEAF(R) fibers, two industry-leading single-mode optical fibers.

Through continuous advancement in fiber performance, consistency and overall quality, Corning once again reinforces its commitment to bringing value to network operators and cable manufacturers. As of today, Corning is manufacturing to these new specifications for both SMF-28e and LEAF fibers.

Corning has improved its point discontinuity specification by 50% from <= 0.10 dB to <= 0.05 dB at 1550 nm for LEAF fiber and at both 1310 nm and 1550 nm for SMF-28e fiber. A lower point discontinuity specification benefits Corning's cabler customers as it enables better predictability and consistency of attenuation results in finished optical fiber cables, thus improving the overall attenuation uniformity. This improvement will lead to lower overall system span-loss, enabling longer transmission distances.

Continuing to build on its industry-leading performance by taking uniformity one step further, Corning announced a 60% improvement in LEAF fiber's attenuation wavelength dependency in the C-band, and a 40% improvement in the L-band. System designers will benefit from tighter control over channel power equalization, which becomes even more important for ultra-long distances and high bit-rate transmission.

Additionally, Corning introduced a 50% improvement to two key bending specifications on SMF-28e fiber. The first is an improved bending specification from <=0.10 dB to <=0.05 dB for 100 turns around a 50 mm diameter mandrel with a 1550 nm light source. Corning has also improved its SMF-28e fiber specification for 100 turns with a 1625 nm light source from <=0.10 dB on a 75 mm diameter mandrel to <=0.05 dB on a 60 mm mandrel, providing both an improvement in specification and a smaller bending radius. As fiber is packaged into smaller components and enclosures, tighter bending specifications allow the end user and component makers to use a smaller equipment footprint when routing fiber.

Corning has also responded to the increased interest in dispersion specifications for the C-band and continued focus on full-spectrum capability by announcing dispersion specifications for SMF-28e fiber of <=18 and <=22 ps/(nm--km) for 1550 nm and 1625 nm, respectively. Corning is the first fiber manufacturer to provide a 1625 nm dispersion specification for standard single-mode fiber. These new specified values will afford end users better network planning capability for WDM systems.

Corning also improved the mode field diameter (MFD) tolerance of SMF-28e fiber by 38% by changing its specification at 1550 nm from 10.4 +/-0.8 (mu)m to 10.4 +/-0.5 (mu)m. Providing a tighter MFD tolerance provides for more predictable splicing performance for end users by reducing the splice loss associated with mode field mismatch. This allows better results on mass fusion splicing of ribbon fibers and gives a greater degree of confidence in blind splicing practices.

"Our global reputation for producing high-quality optical fiber and delivering it with extraordinary service is why our customers consider Corning 'first in fiber'," said Robert Brown, general manager and senior vice president, Corning Optical Fiber. "This commitment to excellence is the formula for Corning's success with our customers worldwide. When it comes to continued product excellence and value-adding attribute improvements, we consider it our responsibility as a fiber leader to continue to raise the bar."

SMF-28e fiber is the latest evolution of Corning standard single-mode fiber, boasting superior full-spectrum performance and world-class specifications to empower existing metropolitan and access networks while supporting the evolution of emerging technologies and broader fiber deployment. LEAF fiber, the most widely-deployed non-zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZ-DSF) in the world, has a patented large effective area and moderate dispersion 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.

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

About Corning Incorporated

Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) creates leading-edge technologies that offer growth opportunities in markets that fuel the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products in its Telecommunications segment. Corning's Technologies segment manufactures high-performance display glass, and products for the environmental, life sciences, and semiconductor markets. For more information on Corning's optical fibers, visit www.corning.com/opticalfiber.