Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, today announced that Cable & Wireless Panama has upgraded its nationwide backbone network using the family of CN 4200® FlexSelect® Advanced Services Platforms. The new network provides efficient transport for a variety of TDM and transparent Ethernet services using advanced Optical Transport Network (OTN) and software-programmable port technologies that maximize the operator’s flexibility for offering multiple services to its residential and enterprise customers.

Cable & Wireless Panama is the leading provider of mobile, broadband and fixed line services in Panama and a subsidiary of CWI Group, the London-based owner of telecommunications businesses in 38 countries. After a competitive review, Cable & Wireless Panama initially selected the CN 4200 for a specific application – a transport network that connects Ethernet-based security cameras mounted in streets and public areas throughout the metropolitan area for the Panama City police department. Based on the CN 4200’s multiservice capabilities, performance and operational flexibility in that initial application, Cable & Wireless Panama quickly realized the benefits could be leveraged across a broader set of backbone networking requirements throughout Panama.

“From video surveillance to IP services and submarine cable interconnection, our service portfolio goes well beyond the basic voice and data offerings of our competitors so we wanted a backbone network that had the flexibility to support a variety of customers and services,” said Jose R. Quintero, CTO at Cable & Wireless Panama. “After deploying the CN 4200 platforms for the video surveillance network and realizing the benefits of its advanced features, we quickly moved to expand the deployment to ensure an agile transport network throughout our serving area.”

Featuring multiple chassis sizes for deployment from the customer premises to the core of long haul regional networks, Ciena’s CN 4200 family of platforms feature full service transparency (bits going in equal bits coming out), performance monitoring for Ethernet and SONET/SDH services, industry-first software-programmable ports and scalability to true, single wavelength 100G capacity. Used in a variety of applications, the CN 4200 platforms have been deployed by service provider, government and enterprise customers worldwide.

“As we continue to engage with Cable & Wireless Panama and other progressive network operators around the world, we are seeing a common approach to next generation transport requirements emerge that demands scale in three dimensions: multi-service flexibility, distance and capacity,” said Mike Aquino, senior vice president, global field operations at Ciena. “The CN 4200 platforms provide a very flexible set of networking building blocks that operators can use to configure transport solutions tailored to their portfolio of services and operational needs, whether it is for a single metro application or a service-driven long haul national network.”

About Ciena

Ciena specializes in practical network transition. We offer leading network infrastructure solutions, intelligent software and a comprehensive services practice to help our customers use their networks to fundamentally change the way they compete. With a global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. 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.

About CWI Group

CWI Group is an owner and operator of leading regional telecoms businesses. Headquartered in London, it operates business through four regional operations – the Caribbean, Panama, Macau and Monaco & Islands – delivering world class service and efficiency. CWI Group is a full-service telecommunications provider offering mobile, broadband, and domestic and international fixed line services, as well as enterprise and managed service solutions. For more information, visit www.cwig.com.

Note to Ciena Investors

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 3, 2009. 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.