News for and about the Internet2 community

[Christine Keck <>]

ADVA Optical Networking's FSP 3000RE Enables Georgia's Barrow County
K-12 Schools To Transform Educational Opportunities


PeachNet(R) providing Barrow County Schools with access to Internet2
and an array of other educational institutions within Georgia

Mahwah, New Jersey, USA; and Martinsried/Munich, Germany. January 24,
2008. ADVA Optical Networking today announced that deployment of the ADVA
Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 3000RE in PeachNet(R) has enabled Barrow
County Schools to implement a host of innovative services, including
becoming the first K-12 school system in Georgia to connect to Internet2,
the foremost U.S. advanced networking consortium. Access to PeachNet is
enabling Barrow County Schools to transform the education it provides
students and to better attract, train and retain teachers.

"If we continue to do only education as usual, we're not providing our
students the education they need to be global leaders," said Dr. Ron
Saunders, superintendent of Barrow County Schools and the Georgia School
Superintendents Association's 2008 Superintendent of the Year. "By
connecting to the Internet2 Network, we are providing our students with
educational opportunities that were simply impossible to offer only a
few years ago. With this technology, we are keeping our students excited
about learning and we are giving quality teachers more reasons to come
to and stay in Barrow County."

The capabilities of the new network were showcased in the "Splash
Day" event at Westside Middle School in Winder, Georgia, from 9 to
11 a.m. January 24. In addition to Dr. Saunders, scheduled presenters
included Steve Harmon from Georgia State University - Chair, Division
of Learning Technologies; Jud Ready, from Georgia Tech - Senior Research
Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) - Electro-Optical Systems
Labs; and-via a link along the network-Don Reece, Director of Information
Technology, Pembina Trails School Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Among the innovative projects that Barrow County Schools officials
plan to implement thanks to the connection to PeachNet via ADVA Optical
Networking's equipment are:

- a "global concert series" offered by the Philadelphia Orchestra via
Internet2;
- interactive programs offered by Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts;
- environmental science programs where students can interact with
researchers on the sea floor at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary;
- calculus classes from Georgia Tech, utilizing a virtual-whiteboard
application that fosters close interaction among students and teachers
connected remotely; and
- a Georgia State University project in which education professors can
observe student teachers in Barrow County classrooms as part of their
teacher training and skills development programs.

PeachNet is a statewide communications network supporting more than
60 University System of Georgia sites, five private higher-education
institutions and more than a half-dozen other government agencies, in
addition to Barrow County Schools. With the ADVA FSP 3000RE providing
backbone transport, PeachNet supports services of speeds up to 10Gbit/s
across the full network distance of 2,400 miles.

With the ADVA FSP 3000RE's Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
(DWDM) capability, data, voice, video and storage application traffic
are transported along the same fiber-optic strands across the PeachNet
infrastructure. In DWDM, different types of network application traffic
are assigned different wavelengths of light in the color spectrum. The
ADVA FSP 3000RE combines ("multiplexes") the outgoing traffic from
a node for transport across PeachNet and separates ("demultiplexes")
incoming traffic back to their respective devices. Because the different
wavelengths of light are engineered to not interfere with one another,
applications of different protocols can be transported simultaneously
across optical fiber. Thanks to DWDM, additional bandwidth and services
can be deployed without physical expansion of PeachNet.

"PeachNet and Barrow County Schools are at the vanguard of a
developing trend where the unprecedented capabilities of the nation's
research-and-education networks are being rolled out to users beyond
universities," said Brian P. McCann, senior vice president of marketing
and strategy with ADVA Optical Networking. "We are pleased to deliver
these capabilities to enable Barrow County Schools to change their
approach to education. We look forward to continuing to help PeachNet
innovate and remain on the cutting edge of both technology and education."

# # #

ABOUT ADVA OPTICAL NETWORKING
ADVA Optical Networking (FSE: ADV) is at the forefront of providing
Optical+Ethernet solutions that advance next-generation networks for
data, storage, voice and video services. Our company's strength comes
from passionate and dedicated employees, all sharing a common vision:
a fast, customized response to customers' ever-changing needs. Our
innovative Fiber Service Platform (FSP) and strong customer focus provide
carriers and enterprises the ability to scale their networks and deliver
intelligent, competitive new services. ADVA Optical Networking's solutions
have been deployed at more than 200 carriers and 10,000 enterprises
around the world. For further information about ADVA Optical Networking:
www.advaoptical.com.

ABOUT BARROW COUNTY SCHOOLS
The mission of the Barrow County School District is to provide all
students quality educational opportunities that enable them to become
successful, responsible, and contributing citizens.  The Barrow County
School System is a SACS/CASI exemplary accredited school district with
an average enrollment of 12,000 students.  Barrow County is located in
northeast Georgia approximately forty-five miles from Atlanta and is
listed in the top twenty-five fastest growing counties in the United
States. "World Class Education - Home Town Values."

PUBLISHED BY:
ADVA AG Optical Networking, Martinsried/Munich and Meiningen, Germany
ADVA Optical Networking Inc., Mahwah, New Jersey, USA
ADVA Optical Networking Corp., Tokyo, Japan
www.advaoptical.com

FOR PRESS:
Christine Keck
t +1 201 258 8293 (U.S.)
t +44 1904 699 358 (Europe)
t +81 3 6667 5830 (Asia)


FOR INVESTORS:
Wolfgang Guessgen
t +1 201 258 8300 (U.S.)
t +49 89 89 0665 940 (Europe)
t +81 3 6667 5830 (Asia)