Calix passes one millionth fiber access port milestone

Over 450 communications service provider customers have moved “Fiber Forward” with Calix fiber access solutions

PETALUMA, CA—Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced that it has shipped to date over one million fiber access ports to North American, Caribbean, and Latin American communications service provider customers. Calix offers fiber access solutions using gigabit passive optical network (GPON), Active Ethernet (AE), and point-to-point Ethernet technologies. These systems have been deployed by over 450 communications service providers serving thousands of communities and over 400,000 residential and business customers. Typically, a GPON port serves 32 subscriber optical network terminals (ONTs) per port, while AE/Point-to-Point GE require a single optical line terminal (OLT) port per ONT.

Communications service providers continue to move “Fiber Forward” in their networks at an accelerating pace, and the Calix Unified Access portfolio has proven to be ideally suited to address their needs across a variety of technologies and deployment scenarios.

“With more than a decade of fiber access experience, Calix has been a pioneer in systematically identifying and addressing the needs of communications service providers deploying fiber-based services,” said Teresa Mastrangelo, founder of industry research firm BroadbandTrends. “Some of the most significant catalysts to the space, like auto-detect technologies and Extended Reach GPON, are key Calix innovations that can be crucial to the fiber access business case. With strong competitive and Broadband Stimulus tailwinds pushing communications service providers toward fiber deployments, we expect fiber access deployment momentum among communications service providers to continue to grow, and Calix to be a major contributor to this increase.”

Fiber access deployments are growing rapidly in 2010 driven by a “perfect storm” of influences – increasing broadband and bandwidth demand, maturing technologies, increased service provider competition, and low interest rates. Looking forward, these influences will likely intensify and be complemented by additional catalysts. The continued proliferation of video over broadband will increase the need for fiber optic infrastructure capable of supporting high-end video services over both wireline networks, as well as wireless networks which require fiber optic backhaul. Government stimulus will also drive new fiber access deployment, as the majority of awards issued to date have been fiber-based. Emerging changes in government communications subsidy programs will be catalysts too, as communications services providers look to drive operational cost out of their networks and replace lost subsidy streams with increased revenue from fiber access solutions. Whatever the individual circumstance, Calix has a fiber access portfolio tailored to address current and emerging needs – from the industry’s broadest ONT portfolio, to a variety of OLT solutions that can be customized for density, reach, and application requirements.

“We are currently immersed in a major project, done entirely outside of the Broadband Stimulus program, in which we plan to deploy fiber to approximately 30,000 homes and businesses in six cities in southeastern Minnesota,” said Gary Evans, president and chief executive officer at Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. in Winona, Minnesota. “When a company like ours engages in a project of this size and scope, it is essential that we are confident in the technology that we are deploying, and the company with whom we are partnering to achieve this vision. With more than a decade of fiber access innovation and more than a million fiber access ports deployed, Calix provides us with the experience and history of execution that allows us to look our friends, neighbors, and board members in the eye and say that we are confident that we are working with exactly the right partner to address the future needs of our business and our community.”

Calix fiber access highlights:

* Calix offers two complementary fiber access capable platforms, the C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP), and the E7 Ethernet Services Access Platform (ESAP). Complementing these platforms are the industry’s broadest selection of ONTs, the 700GE and 700GX ONT families, and a comprehensive network and services management system, Calix Management System (CMS). Armed with these options, communications service providers have a wide variety of weapons from which to choose.
* The Calix C7: Relied on by more US service providers deploying fiber access than all other vendors combined. Each C7 chassis can support up to 2,560 GPON subscribers in a single 8 rack unit (RU) shelf (assuming a typical 32:1 split ratio). The C7 supports such differentiated features as Extended Reach GPON (additional of a single standards-based optical interface module in any GPON port expands service reach to 40 km), Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and radio frequency (RF) video support, full line rate gigabit Ethernet data support, and multiple voice interfaces (SIP, H.248, and GR-303).
* The Calix E7: Exclusively deployed for AE and GPON fiber access services by over 100 communications service providers across North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The E7 modular chassis is built for the realities of fiber access deployment, with each one-RU chassis capable of supporting up to 48 AE subscribers or 256 GPON subscribers (assuming a typical 32:1 split ratio) and a 100 Gigabit per second (Gbps) non-blocking, fully redundant backplane. Deployable on a pay-as-you-grow basis, the E7 supports such differentiated features as Extended Reach GPON, IPTV and RF video support, full line rate gigabit Ethernet data support, and a variety of Metro Ethernet Forum business services profiles.
* The Calix P-Series: The industry’s broadest portfolio of optical network terminals (ONTs). Each 700GE and 700GX ONT supports auto-detect functionality, allowing it to recognize and synch with either GPON or AE. With a wide variety of residential, business, multi-dwelling unit, and mobile backhaul models, the P-Series can support such features as multiple service profiles per port, IPTV, radio frequency over glass (RFOG), native T1 and PWE3 T1/E1 pseudowire dedicated circuit emulation, multiple voice interfaces (SIP, H.248, and GR-303), and Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HPNA).

The entire Calix Unified Access portfolio of fiber access solutions will be on display at the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Conference and Expo September 13-15 at Calix Booth 500 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About Calix

Calix is a leading North American provider of broadband communications access systems and software for copper- and fiber- based network architectures that enable communications service providers to connect to their residential and business subscribers. Calix has shipped over seven million ports of its Unified Access Infrastructure portfolio to more than 500 North American and international customers, whose networks serve over 40 million subscriber lines in total.

This press release may contain 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 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, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations, based on risks and uncertainties affecting the Company’s business. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix’s results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 26, 2010, filed with the SEC on July 23, 2010, available at http://www.sec.gov.