EXFO's Passive Optical Network Power Meter Selected by Tier-1 Network Service Provider for FTTP Deployments

Business Wire, Oct 18, 2004

QUEBEC CITY, Canada -- EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF.SV) announced today that its PPM-350B Passive Optical Network (PON) Power Meter has been selected as the sole power meter for fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) deployments by a Tier-1 network service provider (NSP).

EXFO's PON power meter, which has quickly established itself as the industry reference for FTTP installation, maintenance and service-activation requirements, was developed in close partnership with lead customers to ensure an optimal level of network reliability. Its simple pass-fail analysis and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) will provide NSPs with significant savings with regard to operating expenditures, since this handheld test instrument will be massively used by non-optical technicians.

The PPM-350B PON Power Meter can simultaneously test PONs at the three main wavelengths (1310, 1490 and 1550 nm) recommended by leading standards bodies for FTTP applications. This convenient handheld instrument can determine the power of different signal types, including continuous (e.g., TV signal at 1550 nm) and framed (e.g., ATM or Ethernet at 1490 nm or 1310 nm). Various baud rates are covered, ranging from 155 Mb/s to 2.5 Gb/s, for both synchronous and non-synchronous signals.

"This latest product certification confirms EXFO's position as the leading provider of FTTP test solutions," said Etienne Gagnon, EXFO's Vice-President of Physical-Layer Product Management. "Sustained R&D investments and close customer interaction during the last 18 months have enabled us to develop an extensive portfolio of FTTP-ready products that ultimately will help our NSP customers deploy revenue-generating services in their access networks."

About EXFO

EXFO is the recognized test and measurement expert in the global telecommunications industry through the design and manufacture of advanced and innovative solutions as well as best-in-class customer support. The Telecom Division, which represents the company's main business activity, offers fully integrated and complete test solutions to network service providers, system vendors and component manufacturers in approximately 70 countries. One of EXFO's strongest competitive advantages is its PC/Windows-based modular platforms that host a wide range of tests across optical, physical, data and network layers, while maximizing technology reuse across several market segments. The Photonics and Life Sciences Division mainly leverages core telecom technologies to offer value-added solutions in the life sciences, high-precision manufacturing and research sectors. For more information about EXFO, visit www.exfo.com.