Digital Broadband Enhances Network Backbone With Cisco Optical Technology

Business Wire, Feb 8, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2000

Digital Broadband Communications, Inc., a Broadband Communications Provider (BCP), today announced that the next phase of its broadband network expansion will include developing and managing its own state-of-the-art optical fiber backbone to provide customers with a higher quality of service and customer care.

Digital Broadband is purchasing $20 million worth of next generation optical networking gear from Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, to be used to &uot;light&uot; pre-existing dark fiber (&uot;unlit&uot; or dormant links) which Digital Broadband is acquiring from Bell Atlantic. This investment allows Digital Broadband more direct ownership and control of its growing network, translating to greater cost-efficiencies for its customers.

The agreement entails Cisco's Optical Networking Group (ONG) to supply Digital Broadband, a Cisco Powered Network provider, with ONS15454 optical networking nodes beginning next month and continuing through the end of the year.

&uot;This move reduces our dependence on the incumbent local exchange carrier and allows us to cost-effectively grow capacity,&uot; said Mark Dunn, co-founder and senior vice president of operations at Digital Broadband. &uot;Instead of leasing &uot;lit&uot; fixed broadband circuits, we will obtain dark fiber, &uot;light&uot; it with Cisco ONG's networking gear and incrementally increase capacity as our backbone traffic grows.&uot;

Digital Broadband will ensure easy interoperability and the smooth introduction of new voice, video, Internet, and e-commerce applications as they become available, by deploying Cisco gear &uot;end-to-end&uot; in its backbone, central switching sites and at the customers' premises.

Cisco's Optical Networking Group

Cisco's Optical Networking Group (ONG) is a newly formed division composed of optical networking pioneers Cerent, Monterey Networks, (both acquired by Cisco in 1999), PipeLinks and Pirelli Optical Systems. Digital Broadband's investment in next-generation optical nodes is one of the largest orders placed to date with Cisco's ONG, and reflects its strong strategic relationship with Cisco.

Digital Broadband's participation in the Cisco Powered Network program demonstrates its ability to provide industry leading technology solutions and services that are based predominantly on Cisco &uot;New World&uot; telecommunications technology and solutions. Digital Broadband benefits from its membership by participating in joint marketing, technology sharing and selling activities with Cisco.

&uot;Digital Broadband is quickly and efficiently scaling its network to meet the burgeoning needs of today's high value customers,&uot; said Carl Russo, group vice president, Cisco Optical Networking Group. &uot;Our evolutionary optical transport platforms will provide Digital Broadband with unlimited network capacity, helping them migrate to the Internet scale, carrier class optical network of the future.&uot;

Digital Broadband only weeks ago announced its entry into the service provider telecommunications market. For most of 1999, Digital Broadband worked with a low profile, steadily building its operations support and services (OSS) network and customer base.

&uot;As end user demand for broadband services accelerates, service provider networks-- from the access point to the core -- must be able to provide the capacity to support these services&uot;, said Dana Cooperson, Director of Optical Networking at industry analysis firm RHK, Inc, of South San Francisco. &uot;Optical networking technology is a key enabler of high-capacity broadband networks.&uot;

About Digital Broadband Communications, Inc.

Digital Broadband's unique value proposition is based on satisfying all the current and future broadband communications needs of businesses, enterprises and application service providers (ASPs). Digital Broadband markets &uot;all distance&uot; voice, data, Internet, and video services via its facilities-based Digital Broadband Communications Network (DBCN) and Asymmetric Transfer Mode (ATM)-based backbone. The DBCN passes 70 percent of the available market of business customers in its region.

Within its first six months, the Company established a presence in 71 phone company central offices within metro-Boston's Interstate 495. The privately-held firm is further distinguished as the first New England-based end-to-end DSL Cisco Powered Network. Check out Digital Broadband's web site at www.digitalbroadband.com.

About Cisco

For more information about Cisco Optical Networking Group, please go to www.cisco.com.