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Large Midwestern Utility Cooperative Signs Million Dollar Contract with Meriton Networks

Twice the Capacity of an OC-192 Upgrade at No Extra Cost a Key Factor in Sho-Me Technologies' Selection of Meriton's HSM Architecture for its High-Speed Regional Backbone Network

Ottawa, Canada – June 1, 2004

Meriton Networks Inc., the leading provider of carrier-class wavelength networking systems, and Sho-Me Technologies, the fiber optics subsidiary of Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative, announced today that Sho-Me has selected Meriton's managed High-Speed Metro (HSM) architecture for its high-speed regional backbone network. With nine cooperative member utilities, Sho-Me Technologies has an advanced optical network that covers 600 miles. Also, Sho-Me provides critical connectivity in the 20-member Cooperatives' Broadband Network, an advanced optical network that covers Missouri, Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. The sales agreement between Sho-Me and Meriton encompasses all 20 members of the Cooperatives' Broadband Network.

As a result of significant business expansion, Sho-Me needed to add capacity to its SONET network. In addition to seeking the most cost-effective solution, Sho-Me required wavelength switching for supporting its high-speed wholesale business. As well, Sho-Me desired a platform that would deliver operational simplicity and savings to its backbone network. Sho-Me evaluated various Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) solutions and selected the Meriton HSM architecture for these reasons:

  • Cost-effective - the HSM architecture provides twice the capacity of an OC-192 upgrade at no extra cost
  • Integrated Wavelength Switching and Transmission - Delivers true networking capability that enables fast, flexible and reliable provisioning of high-speed services
  • Operational Simplicity - Meriton's HSM architecture provides a transparent, scalable network infrastructure that simplifies Sho-Me's optical network.

With Meriton's solution, Sho-Me has the ability to intermix the use of dense and coarse WDM interfaces, supporting both Gigabit Ethernet and OC-n traffic for its wholesale customers.

The initial deployment includes key elements of the Meriton high-speed architecture:

  • 7200 OADX, metro core wavelength networking systems
  • 1450 OFA Series, optical fiber amplifiers
  • 1100 DCM Series, dispersion compensation modules
  • 8600 NMS, network management systems
  • 8300 EMS, element management systems

"As a result of our strong growth over the last six years, fiber exhaust was an issue, and it was clear that to add capacity to our network, the use of DWDM offered the most utility for the least investment, " said Kevin Hopper, Manager of Operations and Engineering for Sho-Me Power. "Of all the DWDM options we explored, none came close to the Meriton HSM architecture for cost-effectively meeting our switching, capacity and maintenance needs."

"Sho-Me Technologies is recognized as a technology leader within the community of 2,000 utility telecom service providers in the United States," said David Shpigler, president of The Shpigler Group and director of research for UTC, the organization that represents the telecommunications interests of electric and gas utilities, water companies, gas pipelines and other critical infrastructure entities. "Sho-Me has positioned itself extremely well to take advantage of the strong demand for affordable high-speed services."

"Sho-Me's success is a testament to their focus on deploying networking solutions that are reliable, scalable and cost-effective," said Mike Gassewitz, president of Meriton Networks. "To be selected by Sho-Me for its regional backbone network is a tremendous validation that the Meriton HSM architecture offers compelling and unique value to service providers, especially in the burgeoning 'UTelco' space."

About Sho-Me Technologies
Based in Marshfield Missouri, Sho-Me Technologies is the fiber optics subsidiary of Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative, a large midwestern utility cooperative in the USA. Sho-Me provides key connectivity in the state of Missouri as part of the Cooperatives' Broadband Network, a consortium of twenty different utility company members. For more information, please visit http://www.shomepower.com/.

About Cooperatives' Broadband Network
The Cooperatives' Broadband Network is an advanced optical network spanning electric transmission lines in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. What began as an upgrade to the extensive internal communications network, this optical network has now grown to encompass over 2,500 miles of fiber optic connectivity. With over 150 Points of Presence, the Cooperatives' Broadband Network boasts the highest coverage of optical bandwidth in the area. There are twenty different utility members currently as members of the Cooperatives' Broadband Network. For more information, please visit http://www.cbn.coop/.

About Meriton Networks Inc.
Meriton Networks Inc. is an innovative wavelength networking company that has developed the industry's first managed high-speed metro (HSM) services architecture. Meriton customers deploy a single, cost-effective solution that addresses the issues of fiber relief and network cost reduction, while also enabling the delivery of all HSM services. The Meriton solution includes metro access, metro core and regional extension products, which are fully managed by a best-in-class suite of network and service management tools. For more information, please visit http://www.meriton.com/.

Meriton Networks, the Meriton Networks logo, MeritonCare, OI2 -Optical Inter-networking Intelligence, IVFN and Out-of-the-box WDM are trademarks of Meriton Networks Inc. Other trademarks that may be used in this document are property of their respective owners.