Surf Telecoms Selects Nortel Networks for Next Generation Metro Optical Network

Business Wire, March 18, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 2002

Academic Institutions, Businesses in South West Britain to Benefit

from Broadband Services

Surf Telecoms, a member of the Western Power Group, has selected Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT) (TSE:NT.) to provide Metro Optical equipment to run an Optical Ethernet network under an agreement announced today. Initial sites to be served by the network include Cardiff University, the University of Wales Swansea, Newport University, and the University of Glamorgan.

Surf Telecoms will use Nortel Networks Metro Optical equipment to build a complete, fully integrated multiservice network capable of supporting a range of broadband services including Optical Ethernet and TDM circuit services. Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 5200 Multiservice Platform will provide dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) optical rings designed to operate at 2.5 Gigabits per second per channel. In addition, Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 4000 Multiservice Platform will be used to provide delivery of individual E1, 2 Megabits per second, circuit-based services.

"Nortel Networks differentiated itself through the availability of its proven, multi-feature metro DWDM portfolio," said Steve Blew, general manager, Surf Telecoms. "In addition, Nortel Networks was able to integrate our requirements for metro SDH products and demonstrate excellent UK technical support. We hope to offer broadband services through a regional, Gigabit Ethernet network to connect to the LANs of local businesses and academic institutions in South Wales and South West England by April 2002."

"Through our existing market, technology and standards leadership in Metro and Enterprise Networks, we are bringing DWDM to the mainstream market and making it easier for companies such as Surf Telecoms to build out new, revenue-generating enterprise services while simplifying their network operations," said Hamid Arabzadeh, vice president, Metro Optical Networks, Nortel Networks EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa).

OPTera Metro 5000 and 4000 platforms are part of Nortel Networks complete, flexible Metro Optical Networks portfolio. It includes DWDM, next generation SDH/SONET and Optical Ethernet products that are deployed in more than 1,000 customer networks in 45 countries. Nortel Networks ranked No.1 in the global metro DWDM market in the fourth quarter of 2001, according to the Dell'Oro Group.

Nortel Networks is an industry leader and innovator focused on transforming how the world communicates and exchanges information. The company is supplying its service provider and enterprise customers with communications technology and infrastructure to enable value-added IP data, voice and multimedia services spanning Metro and Enterprise Networks, Wireless Networks and Optical Long Haul Networks. As a global company, Nortel Networks does business in more than 150 countries. More information about Nortel Networks can be found on the Web at www.nortelnetworks.com.

Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.