[November 20, 2012]

Dakota Carrier Network Upgrades Statewide Network with Ciena 100G Technology

Ciena^® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, today announced that Dakota Carrier Network (DCN) LLC, a North Dakota-based communications provider, has deployed Ciena's coherent optical technology to deliver 40G and 100G wavelength services across its statewide optical backbone. The upgraded network leverages Ciena's OPⁿ framework principles, allowing DCN to deliver scalable, high-speed, low-latency voice, video and data services to its commercial, education and government customers at speeds of 10G, 40G, 100G and beyond.

Key Facts:

• DCN was created in 1996 by 15 independent rural telecommunications companies to provide high-speed Internet, data and telecommunication services to more than 153,000 customers in 244 communities via 40,000 miles of fiber optic cable installed across North Dakota.
• DCN recently deployed Ciena's 6500 Packet-Optical Platform equipped with WaveLogic^™ coherent optical processors in an 88-channel DWDM ring. This configuration allows DCN to easily scale capacity and program its network to deliver 40G and 100G wavelength services to support demand from their cellular backhaul, business and residential customers across the state.
• In addition, DCN's previously installed Ciena 10G equipment is easily upgraded through the 6500 platform, providing DCN the ability to offer new wavelength services using existing infrastructure.
• DCN's upgraded network can provide bandwidth-intensive voice, video and data transport at speeds up to 10 times faster than typical service available in the region today, which can help spur economic advancement by attracting businesses that depend on reliable, high-speed, high-capacity connectivity for a competitive advantage.
• DCN is the recipient of an approximately $10.8 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The grant, along with additional funding, has allowed DCN to design its regional optical backbone to support high-speed fiber connectivity and broadband services to rural and underserved North Dakota critical community institutions, including public safety entities, schools and government agencies.

Executive Comments:

• "DCN provides the foundation for much of North Dakota's telecommunications infrastructure, and is thus a critical enabler of the state's economic advancement. With Ciena's industry-leading 6500, we can provide our customers confidence that North Dakota has the communications infrastructure to support delivery of broadband-enabled services including healthcare, education, public safety and long-term business growth."
  - Evan Hass, General Manager, DCN, LLC
• "DCN is a great example of a regional service provider that is taking advantage of developments in packet-optical transport technology to help foster economic opportunity for its customers and local community. Ciena's coherent optical technology gives DCN a cost-effective and future-proof foundation to ensure its residential, commercial and government customers have the connectivity required to be successful."
  
  - Chad Whalen, Vice President and General Manager, North America Field Operations at Ciena

Technology Leadership:

• Ciena's 100G coherent optical technology has been deployed by a number of independent and regional telecommunications providers in the U.S., including CapeNet, DC-Net, Sunset Digital and Sovernet, among others.
• Ciena's 100G solutions equipped with WaveLogic coherent optical processors scale the capacity and reach of existing networks with operational simplicity. 6500 systems also feature electronic dispersion compensation and comprehensive ROADM (News - Alert) functionality, which combine with intelligent automation and OTN/packet switching to maximize both the bandwidth efficiency and flexibility of the overall network.
• The pioneer and market leader in coherent technology for optical transmission, Ciena offered the industry's first commercially-available systems-with coherent 40G deployed since 2008 and coherent 100G since 2009. To date, Ciena has shipped over 16,000 coherent 40G/100G line interfaces to more than 100 customers across the globe, with more than 15 million coherent kilometers deployed.

Supporting Resources:

• Application Note: Coherent Optical Processing for High-Capacity Networks
• Data Sheet: 6500 Packet-Optical Platform
• Video: What is Coherent Optical Networking
• Ciena Insights: Proving that 100G is real today
• White Paper (News - Alert): OPⁿ Network Architecture

About DCN

DCN currently operates 15 POPs (Point of Presence) across the multi-state region, each acting as an "on/off" ramp to the local service provider for making the connections. The company provides high-speed point-to-point connections, Ethernet and high-speed Internet services on a statewide fiber optic DWDM network. The fiber backbone makes it possible for all of North Dakota's businesses to obtain access to a network with high-speed capabilities. This high-speed digital facility is built as a diverse routed ring network, providing reliable high quality service with a single point of contact for ordering, installation, repair and billing. For more information, visit www.dakotacarrier.com.

About Ciena

Ciena is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with OPⁿ, its approach for building open next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.

Note to Ciena Investors

Forward-looking statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 5, 2012. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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