CenturyLink Deploys Ciena 100G Packet Optical Technology Across Global Network

Ciena’s solutions increase capacity and provide a scalable and programmable OPⁿ network architecture optimized for delivering high performance consumer, enterprise, data center and wholesale services

HANOVER, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ciena^® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, today announced that CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) recently utilized its converged packet optical platform with WaveLogic coherent optical technology to modernize and upgrade its network that spans more than 50 metropolitan locations across the United States. This deployment allows CenturyLink to offer a better range of high-speed services including 1GE, 10GE, 100GE and equivalent wavelengths to businesses in the United States and in select international cities.

Key Facts:

• CenturyLink is the third largest telecommunications company in the U.S. and provides data, voice and managed services to businesses and consumers in local, national and select international markets and is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT services for enterprises.
• CenturyLink is utilizing Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform featuring WaveLogic coherent optical technology to support its in-region and national metro networks, and has deployed 6500-based 100G networks in select international cities.
• The 6500 platform will also offer integrated packet switching which gives CenturyLink agility in the delivery of groomed Ethernet services to its enterprise customers.
• CenturyLink is a Diamond partner in Ciena’s BizConnect partner program.

Executive Quotes:

• “CenturyLink understands the increasing need for scalability, capacity and high-speed network services for today’s business requirements. Ciena’s converged packet and coherent optical technology allows us to provide speed and capacity improvements to our international and domestic regional networks, creating a true, end-to-end 100G network to deliver today’s bandwidth-intensive services and applications.”
  - Pieter Poll, senior vice president of national and international network planning, engineering and construction, CenturyLink

• “Given CenturyLink’s position as a leader in business connectivity, cloud infrastructure and data center services, the deployment of our converged packet optical platform with 100G WaveLogic coherent optical processing, integrated packet switching and specialist services provides CenturyLink with a cost-optimized, programmable network. Additionally, we’re enabling CenturyLink to more efficiently scale and packetize its network to support the massive flood of traffic expected from cloud computing, video and other bandwidth hungry services.”
  - Philippe Morin, senior vice president, global field organization, Ciena

Technology Leadership:

• Architected for network modernization, Ciena’s 6500 converges comprehensive Ethernet, TDM, and WDM capabilities into one platform to support cost-effective delivery of emerging and existing services—from the access edge to the backbone core.
• Ciena is the pioneer and market leader of coherent optical technology with more than 20,000 coherent 40G/100G line interfaces shipped to over 100 customers across the globe, for a total deployment of more than 20 million coherent kilometers.
• Ciena’s converged packet optical with WaveLogic coherent optical technology gives service providers significant bandwidth scalability, reliability and network intelligence – all key building blocks of an OPⁿ network architecture.

Supporting Resources:

• Coherent Application Note: Coherent Optical Processing for High-Capacity Networks
• Data Sheet: 6500 Packet-Optical Platform
• Ciena Insights: Ciena Honors Top BizConnect Channel Partners
• White Paper: The Case for Network Modernization
• White Paper: OPⁿ Network Architecture

About Ciena

Ciena is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to delivering solutions in alignment with OPⁿ, its approach for building open next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.

Note to Ciena Investors

Forward-looking statements. 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-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2013. 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.