Calix Sees Rising Interest in Fiber as Three Telcos Select Its FTTP Solution

July 18, 2005, PETALUMA, CA—Calix announced today that three additional service providers will deploy fiber to the premises (FTTP) using the company's standards-based broadband passive optical network (BPON) optical line terminal (OLT) line cards for the Calix C7 multiservice access platform. All three companies had previously deployed the C7 platform to deliver DSL and other services to their customers. The telcos include Bixby Telephone of Bixby, Oklahoma; Cambridge Telephone of Cambridge, Idaho; and Randolph Telephone of Asheboro, North Carolina.

"We're seeing a rapid uptake of FTTP across our customer base, both for greenfield deployments and for brownfield applications where advanced services such as IPTV can benefit from the added bandwidth," said Mitch Fleming, vice president of independent operating company (IOC) sales at Calix. "Interest in FTTP is being driven by a number of factors—FTTP technology has proven in, the economic benefits of FTTP have been established, and telcos are finding that adding FTTP OLT line cards to our proven Calix C7 platform is a graceful, low-risk way to begin deploying FTTP. And because the FTTP OLT is simply another blade in a system that supports a number of services, the incremental cost of adding FTTP to the Calix C7 is extremely low."

The Calix FTTP OLT line cards minimize risk and maximize flexibility for service providers evolving their access networks toward FTTP for a more service-rich, ultra-broadband future. Because service providers can integrate support for FTTP into the same Calix C7 platform that delivers ADSL2+, the risks inherent in deploying new technology are substantially mitigated. The Calix C7 has 200 Gbps of backplane capacity—enough to allow providers that use the FTTP line card to deliver identical service bundles, including IPTV, HDTV, and video on demand (VOD), to both fiber- and copper-connected subscribers.

Bixby Telephone

Bixby Telephone is a rapidly growing independent telephone company near Tulsa, Oklahoma, that will support greenfield fiber deployments with the Calix FTTP OLT line card. "We originally purchased the Calix C7 to provide POTS and DSL for our all-copper plant," said Lynn Pike, general manager of Bixby Telephone. "However, we were attracted by the idea that we could use the system to upgrade to fiber for greenfield deployments. We looked at a number of different FTTP vendors, but it made most sense to stay with one consolidated system that could serve our existing copper plant while providing an easy transition to fiber and other revenue-generating services. As more people start using higher-bandwidth services, the C7's 200 Gbps backplane will give us room to grow."

Cambridge Telephone

Cambridge Telephone, located in Cambridge, Idaho, provides the type of services usually offered by telcos serving larger suburban and urban deployments to subscribers in remote rural areas. "The Calix C7 is perfect for an independent telco," said Dan Morris, facilities manager of Cambridge Telephone. "It's small, cost effective, easily managed, and provides multiple systems, including FTTP, in one device. Competing FTTP solutions require you to buy an entire box, and you have to train your people on another system. At Cambridge, we're using the new FTTP OLT line card to start offering video services in the near future."

Randolph Telephone

Randolph Telephone of Asheboro, North Carolina, which has 16,000 access lines, has transitioned most of its legacy network to the Calix C7 and is now updating its installation with the Calix FTTP OLT blade. "It's not worthwhile to pull copper to greenfield locations; the trend is to fiber, and the Calix OLT blade lets us be part of that trend," said Frankie Cagle, central office manager of Randolph Telephone. "With the C7, we can pull fiber and copper from the same shelf, so we can continue to serve existing neighborhoods with copper and pull fiber to new developments nearby. Initially, we'll use FTTP to offer video and tiered services."

The Calix C7 allows service providers to begin offering IP-based video entertainment services over DSL, and to migrate subscribers to FTTP as desired, while retaining their investment in video encoders, middleware, IP set top boxes, and the access and transport network. The C7 supports up to 2,400 ultra-broadband fiber or copper interfaces in a single 7-foot rack, with an aggregate of 1 Tbps in backplane bandwidth. Despite this enormous capacity, carriers can deploy the Calix C7 very economically, even in environmentally harsh locations.

About Calix
Calix is a leading supplier of telecommunications solutions designed to simplify all aspects of voice, data, and video service delivery to business and residential subscribers for local exchange carriers of all sizes. Providing extensive optical and metallic density, unprecedented access capacity and functional headroom, advanced management and provisioning capabilities, and broad service flexibility, the packet-based Calix C7 platform has been deployed in over 170 service provider networks throughout North America. More information about Calix can be found at www.calix.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this press release and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations.

For additional information contact:
Jeannette Bitz
Engage PR
510-748-8200 x207
jbitz@engagepr.com