USCarrier Telecom, LLC Selects Ciena to Support Multiservice Aggregation for Metropolitan and Regional Transport Services

ATLANTA and LINTHICUM, Md. – 01/29/2007 - USCarrier Telecom, LLC® has selected Ciena® Corporation’s CN 4200™ FlexSelect™ Advanced Services Platform for deployment in its Southeastern metropolitan and regional networks. The Ciena solution has been deployed to upgrade USCarrier’s existing SONET network to support evolving network demands and position the carrier to offer new services.

In order to better support its customers, USCarrier’s strategy is to transition to a converged, multiservice network that allows the Company to implement network enhancements and deploy new services without interruption. Ciena’s advanced programmable optical port technology - FlexiPort - enables USCarrier to deliver SONET, Gigabit Ethernet and storage services via a single universal line card, instead of requiring multiple service-specific line cards or network devices. This unique capability brings USCarrier new levels of service flexibility and investment protection.

“In addition to the selection of a future-proof platform, we wanted an experienced partner to help manage and migrate our legacy systems over time without stranding our existing network investments. This was critical to allow us to remain competitive and focus our expenditures on growing the network instead of replacing it. Ciena excelled in its ability to understand and implement a winning strategy for us,” said Guy King, director of engineering for USCarrier.

Ciena’s Global Network Services (GNS) organization delivered mission-critical deployment services for USCarrier’s network. During the upgrade, Ciena’s GNS deployment experts seamlessly integrated the CN 4200 into USCarrier’s network and performed a live traffic cut onto the new platform without interrupting service to the carrier or its customers.

“Achieving network and service convergence is not a simple task. If done properly, service providers like USCarrier can harness this as a strategic advantage to differentiate themselves in the market. Migrating to this new architecture will help ensure a solid network foundation to efficiently provide converged, value-added services, while still leveraging investments in legacy technology and service offerings,” said Mike Aquino, senior vice president of worldwide sales at Ciena. “By choosing Ciena’s CN 4200 - the flagship product of our FlexSelect Architecture - USCarrier is ensuring a smooth, cost-effective transition to a next-generation infrastructure.”

Ciena’s CN 4200 is the only multiservice transport and aggregation platform capable of on-demand support for any transport protocol—including SONET/SDH, Ethernet/GbE/10GbE, storage (Fibre Channel, FICON, ESCON) or video—at any speed on any available port using the industry’s first universal line card with individual user-programmable ports. It was built from the ground up with FlexiPort technology to make the migration from TDM to packet services simple, practical and cost-effective. A standards-based and MEF-certified platform, the CN 4200 can interoperate seamlessly in any network environment with equipment from third party vendors, and offers both metro and regional distance capability to simplify back office integration.



ABOUT CIENA

Ciena Corporation is the network specialist, focused on expanding the possibilities for its customers’ networks while reducing their cost of ownership. The company’s systems, software and services target and cure specific network pain points so that telcos, cable operators, governments and enterprises can best exploit the new applications that are driving their businesses forward.

About USCarrier Telecom, LLC

USCarrier Telecom, LLC is a one-source provider of high-capacity, high-speed telecommunications bandwidth. Wholesale services include long-haul transport, metro Atlanta access, long-distance and Internet access connecting more than 40 cities in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Southeast. Headquartered in Atlanta, USCarrier has an operations center in Macon, GA with technicians deployed throughout the state. USCarrier has more than 4,000 route-miles of state-of-the-art fiber optic network in four states, monitored twenty-four hours, seven days a week. For more information on USCarrier and its products and services, visit the company web site at www.uscarrier.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-K, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 10, 2007. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact Information

Nicole Anderson

Press Contact

Ciena Corporation

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