OFS, designer, manufacturer and supplier of leading edge fiber
optic products, with Wave7 Optics, a leading provider of optical
access equipment, and Microsoft Corporation, today announced the world’s first
demonstration of a live online gaming application, simultaneous with voice, video
and data services, over a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network. The demonstration
is enabled by OFS’ Access ADVANTAGE FTTP System and Wave7 Optics’
Last Mile Linkâ„¢ (LML) single fiber optical access solution.
Show attendees can play an Xbox Liveâ„¢ game and simultaneously access the
Internet, talk using the Xbox Live Communicator headset, and view broadcast video
to experience the power of optical access networks.

“The tremendous requirements of gaming applications has helped drive
ever-faster microprocessors, and their ever-increasing demand for bandwidth
will help drive the requirements of access networks. This first live demonstration
of truly converged “beyond-broadband” levels of bandwidth showcases
the unique potential of our Access ADVANTAGE FTTP System and how it’s meeting
the vast broadband demands for higher bandwidth, revenue generating services,
scalability and reliability,” said Paul Neuhart, President, Optical
Fiber, Cable and Connectivity Division, OFS. . .

The configuration consists of Wave7 Optics’ LML advanced optical access system
supporting converged voice, data, broadcast video, and the Xbox Live service,
over the Access ADVANTAGE FTTP system. Wave7 Optics’ Last Mile Core (LMC) equipment
is connected via OFS’ AllWave® fiber, low-loss LC connectors, low-loss adapters,
and low-loss Blue Tigerâ„¢ LC jumpers to Wave7 Optics’ Last Mile Gateways (LMGs)
that each serve a subscriber. It effectively doubles the supported distance
between the LMC and LMG. This tremendous increase in reach over other fiber
and connectivity solutions demonstrates the obvious benefits of utilizing the
low-loss Access ADVANTAGE FTTP system with the Wave7 Optics’ LML system.

Xbox Live can take advantage of very high-speed FTTP optical access networks
to deliver enhanced gaming experiences for subscribers. With access speeds over
100 times faster than conventional broadband solutions, FTTP can enable lightning
fast Xbox Live game experiences.

“We are pleased to partner with OFS and Wave7 Optics on this first live
online gaming demonstration over a fiber network, and to support the deployment
of FTTP to pave the way for future high-speed, broadband applications,”
said Mike Lucero, Xbox Live Group Product Manager.

The Access ADVANTAGE system is a complete FTTP cabling and connectivity system
that features the AllWave Full Spectrum ADVANTAGEâ„¢ fiber offering 50% more
bandwidth that can be used for premium residential services such as instant
on-demand HDTV.

“As advanced services develop and bandwidth requirements increase, the
need for cost-effective scaleable optical systems will become imperative,”
said Emmanuel Vella, Chief Marketing Officer at Wave7 Optics. “Our infrastructure
will support everything subscribers want to do now and into the future with
solid economics to justify deployment today.”

The Wave7 Optics’ LML advanced optical access system provides video (CATV and
digital, including IP streaming), high-speed data and telephony services (IP-based
or circuit-based) to subscribers with dedicated and on-demand symmetrical data
rates of up to 500 Mb/sec, all on a single fiber. The LML architecture is standards-based,
cost-competitive with current HFC implementations, and includes industry-leading
Quality-of-Service (QoS) mechanisms for enhanced features.

About OFS
OFS is a designer, manufacturer, and supplier of leading edge optical fiber,
optical fiber cable, optical connectivity and specialty photonics products for
a wide variety of applications and industries. OFS, formerly the Optical Fiber
Solutions division of Lucent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: LU), has a proven track
record of being first in the industry with application specific fibers, optical
connectors, ribbon cables, erbium doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers and more.
OFS is committed to providing customers increased value by offering products
that deliver lowest cost per bit network solutions, protecting investments through
future flexible solutions.

OFS distributes its optical fiber, optical fiber cable, optical connectivity
and specialty photonics products directly to end users, as well as through valued
distributors, external cable customers and equipment vendors.

OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric, a multi-billion dollar global leader in
optical communications and majority shareholder, and CommScope, Inc., a world
leader in broadband coaxial cables and minority shareholder. Headquartered in
Norcross, GA, OFS operates facilities in Avon, Connecticut; Carrollton, Georgia;
Somerset, New Jersey; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, as well as facilities in
Denmark, Germany and Russia.

For more information contact ofspr@ofsoptics.com.

About Wave7 Optics
Wave7 Optics, Inc. is a market leader in the fiber-to-the-home and business
(FTTX) optical access market. The Last Mile Linkâ„¢ optical access system
effectively overcomes traditional cost and implementation barriers to the bandwidth
capacity bottleneck in the last mile of communications networks. Wave7 Optics’
innovative approach to optical access is a generation ahead of competitive PON
technologies in both cost and capability. The Last Mile Link product suite provides
solutions that specifically address residential, business and multi-tenant customers
with a unifying architecture providing a complete triple play of voice, video,
and data services.

Additional information about Wave7 Optics is available at www.wave7optics.com
or contact emmanuel.vella@w7optics.com.

About Xbox Live
Xbox Live, which launched in the United States Nov. 15, 2002, allows gamers
to play multiplayer Xbox games with other gamers worldwide via a broadband connection.
With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the Xbox console is the only video
game system built from the ground up for online gaming. Xbox Live enables gamers
to easily find their friends; talk to other players during gameplay through
the Xbox Communicator headset; download current statistics and new levels and
characters to their Xbox hard drive; and play online — all exclusive features
to Xbox Live.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader
in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing.
The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower
people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

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