Calix Expands VDSL2 Portfolio

LAS VEGAS, NV—November 2, 2011—Calix Inc. (NYSE:CALX, news, filings) today announced major expansions to its Unified Access portfolio that bring industry-leading VDSL2 density and deployment flexibility to communications service providers, allowing them to greatly increase their competitiveness and extend the life of their copper networks. Today’s announcements include:

• Two new Ethernet eXtensible Architecture (EXA) Powered VDSL2 lines cards for the E7-2 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP), featuring industry-leading density and flexibility – up to 96 VDSL2 combo ports or 48 overlay ports and support for bonding and vectoring, two 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GE) ports, and two ports capable of GE or 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbps) service delivery – in a two card slot, one rack unit (1RU), modular chassis-based form factor. To see a demonstration of the E7-2’s vectoring capabilities, visit the Calix Blog.
• A new VDSL2 combo card for the Calix B-Series Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs), featuring 48 VDSL combo ports with bonding support and ADSL2+ fallback, as well as four 10 GE ports for optimal uplink capacity in a 1RU card.

With this addition, the Calix Unified Access portfolio now supports what we believe to be the widest array of advanced DSL solutions in the market – from small fixed form factor solutions to large high density chassis, and a variety of modular cabinet retrofits and sealed nodal solutions in between. With a comprehensive portfolio of systems well suited for virtually any deployment scenario, bonding and ADSL fallback standard across all VDSL2 solutions on the B-, C-, and E-Series platforms and nodes, and a price point that clearly justifies its deployment instead of existing ADSL options, Calix VDSL2 solutions have become a “universal” DSL alternative for service providers, offering a superior mix of performance, flexibility, and value.

“Our latest VDSL2 innovations, with extraordinarily high density and support for vectoring and bonding, offer what we believe to be the pinnacle of widely deployable DSL advancements,” said Kevin Pope, senior vice president of product development at Calix. “The Calix Unified Access portfolio now provides a wide variety of VDSL2 options that can deliver speeds in excess of 100 Mbps over existing copper plant. By leveraging VDSL2 solutions across the B6, C7, or E7 today, service providers can greatly enhance their broadband service offerings quickly and cost-effectively, and leverage these same platforms if required in the future to deliver advanced fiber access services.”

Accelerating Network Transformation with the E7-2 ESAP

The Calix E7-2 ESAP was first brought to market in 2009 and rapidly gained notoriety as North America’s leading platform for advanced fiber access deployments (the majority of Last Mile U.S. Broadband Stimulus awardees announced publicly have chosen the E7-2 for their projects to date). Now this functionality has been expanded to include industry leading Fiber Forward services as well. With up to 96 VDSL2 subscribers serviceable from a single 1RU chassis, the E7-2 is the highest density and most flexible VDSL2 platform on the market. Well suited to an all-video world where service providers find it difficult to accurately predict advanced service take rates, the E7-2 is a two-slot modular chassis that can be deployed on a pay-as-you-grow basis. Also environmentally hardened, it is capable of being deployed virtually anywhere – from retrofit cabinets to space-constrained central offices. The E7-2 is also vectoring and bonding capable, with the ability to deliver broadband speeds of 100 Mbps to all subscribers simultaneously. Each card was also designed with multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) ports for the ability to create several 10 GE rings from one node location. This design delivers another level of flexibility with the possibility of node splitting, where service providers can incrementally double backhaul transport by moving platforms from existing GE rings to a new 10 GE ring for tremendous capacity for growth.

As broadband demand continues to increase, new broadband-ready devices and services proliferate, and an all-video world becomes a reality, service providers may wish to continue to transform their networks to all fiber. The E7-2 can easily handle that transition by replacing any VDSL2 card with a GPON or point-to-point GE card. Thus, a transformation to fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) can be supported with no forklift upgrade or additional capital expenditure. No matter what timetable a service provider may have, whether a rapid migration or a steady evolution to fiber, the E7-2 provides the capacity and flexibility needed to keep on the evolutionary path.

Additional features of the E7-2 with VDSL2 support line include:

• The VDSL2-48C combo card – 48 combo ports per line card for 96 combo ports in 1RU and two 10GE ports and two GE/2.5GE ports per card or four 10GE and four GE/2.5GE ports per 1RU
• The VDSL2-48 card – 48 overlay ports in 1RU card as well as four GE/2.5GE ports per chassis
• Wide deployment flexibility in the 1RU form factor with the ability to be installed in a low-profile OC-100 cabinet or retrofitted into any existing cabinet in the field

“Two years ago, Horizon Telcom was the first service provider to deploy the E7-2, and now we are just as excited to be the first to utilize the platform’s VDSL2 support,” said Trevor Kendall, executive general manager of operations at Horizon Telcom. “We have already experienced the flexibility and value of the small form factor, the ease of services turn-up, and the pay-as-you grow value of the platform in our fiber deployments. Now, we are looking forward to leveraging the same value in our copper network. With 100 Gbps per slot capacity and support for vectoring and bonding, we are confident that the E7-2 allows our network to be ready for any new services that may be coming our way.”

VDSL2 Support Spans the Unified Access Portfolio

Although the small 1RU form factor of the E7-2 make it well suited for a wide variety of deployment scenarios, Calix has a wide variety of other platforms, nodes, and form factors that are tailored for other situations. Ideally suited for nodal locations, pole deployments, or multi-dwelling units, the E3-48 and E3-12C sealed Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) provide 48 and 12 ports respectively of VDSL2 support with ADSL fallback. Both support bonding, and the E3-48 is also vectoring capable. The E5-120 and E5-121 fixed form factor ESANs also provide 24 ports of VDSL2 support in a small 1.5RU form factor. At the remote terminal and central office, the C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP) and the B6 -001, B6-006, and B6-012 ESANs also support high density VDSL2 services as well as bonding.

A new VDSL2 combo card, the B6-256, was recently released and is being deployed widely, including with long-time B6 customer Rural Telephone/Nex-Tech in rural Kansas. Also with full bonding support and ADSL2+ fallback, the card delivers increased capacity over existing copper networks. In addition, B6-256 card features four 10 GE ports for optimal uplink capacity.

From solutions optimized for high density central office environments to small form factor solutions optimized for unique deployment scenarios, the Calix Unified Access portfolio provides what Calix believes to be the industry’s widest variety and most flexible VDSL2 solutions. Calix also offers an array of cabinet options for a multitude of deployment densities.

These new solutions will be introduced to Calix customers and on display today at the Calix User Group Conference at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About Calix

Calix (NYSE: CALX) is a global leader in access innovation. Its Unified Access portfolio of broadband communications access systems and software enable communications service providers worldwide to be the broadband provider of choice to their subscribers. For more information, visit the Calix website at www.calix.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting the Company’s business. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix’s results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 24, 2011, filed with the SEC on October 21, 2011, available at http://www.sec.gov.

Press Inquiries:
Neila Matheny
707-766-3512
Neila.matheny@calix.com

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