Atlantech Online Increases Backbone Network Capacity with Optical Equipment

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — MRV COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (Nasdaq:MRVC), a leading provider of products and services for out-of-band networking, WDM and optical transport, metro Ethernet, fiber optic components, 10GE and other service aware networking products, today announced Maryland-based regional carrier Atlantech Online Inc. has chosen the LambdaDriver(r) wave-division multiplexing (WDM) system as the basis for its 300-kilometer backbone network, which delivers services to customers in the Washington D.C. area.

Atlantech’s customer base includes federal agencies and small and large enterprise customers. The company offers transport services, leased wavelengths, point-to-point circuits, MPLS, data center colocation and, as of the beginning of 2006, voice services. The service provider has been in business since 1995, growing its business using standard time division multiplexing (TDM) and then leased lit fiber services. Atlantech began leasing dark fiber in 2006 and has grown to operate its own fiber network as the needs of its customers have evolved. Atlantech sought out a WDM system to fully leverage its fiber infrastructure as its service offerings expanded to include voice traffic and its growing customer base demanded more bandwidth.

Atlantech’s 300-km Gigabit Ethernet backbone ring connects its three points of presence in Arlington and Ashburn, VA, and Silver Spring, MD, which allows the company to offer its services throughout metropolitan Washington D.C. Atlantech chose the MRV equipment after a competitive review because of its cost effectiveness and because of features like add-drop multiplexing that allows Atlantech to launch point-to-point services to its customers. Additionally, the company is considering offering storage-networking services across the backbone using the LambdaDriver’s Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) capabilities. MRV worked with its partner Solunet Inc. to deliver the WDM network.

"Atlantech has grown in the face of stiff competition through its ability to be competitive, and the cost-effectiveness of the LambdaDriver enhances that ability both in services we offer today, but also in giving us the flexibility to offer services, like storage networking, that we thought were out of our reach," said Eric Van Tol, operations manager for Atlantech Online, Inc. "We’ve maintained profitability since day one by being able to offer advanced services through our upgradeable network, and we are optimistic that with the MRV gear in place, we will continue to do so."

"Atlantech is like many of our carrier customers who are looking to offer new services for revenue growth and realizing that network flexibility and performance are crucial to this effort," said Noam Lotan, MRV president and CEO. "These are architectural traits of the LambdaDriver, not add ons, which makes the system one of the most competitive on the market today."

About the MRV’s LambdaDriver Platforms

MRV’s LambdaDriver WDM platforms provide flexible CWDM and DWDM solutions, enabling enterprises to build campus-wide backbone networks and service providers to create new revenue opportunities due to more efficient use of their existing fiber infrastructure. Three different active chassis (LD400, LD800 and LD1600) and 2 passive chassis (LPD100 and LDP300) with interchangeable modules provide a solution for any network size and service density. Transparent transport allows support for all high-speed LAN, WAN or SAN services. The sub-rate TDM technology allows even more efficient use of the available fiber by aggregating low rate protocols over one wavelength. The LambdaDriver platforms support both CWDM and DWDM technologies, thus enabling a cost efficient initial investment in infrastructure with CWDM and a smooth upgrade path towards full capacity DWDM networks. LambdaDriver platforms are NEBS certified for use in U.S. carrier central office applications. 

About MRV Communications, Inc.

MRV Communications, Inc. ("MRV") is a leading provider of network equipment and services, and optical components. MRV’s networking business provides equipment used by commercial customers, governments and telecommunications service providers, and includes switches, routers, physical layer products and out-of-band management products as well as specialized networking products for aerospace, defense and other applications including voice and cellular communication. MRV’s optical components business provides optical communications components for metropolitan, access and Fiber-to-the-Premises applications, through its wholly owned subsidiary SourcePhotonics, Inc. MRV markets and sells its products worldwide through a variety of channels, including a dedicated direct sales force, manufacturers’ representatives, value-added-resellers, distributors and systems integrators. MRV also has operations in Europe that provide network system design, integration and distribution services that include products manufactured by third-party vendors, as well as internally developed and manufactured products. Publicly traded since 1992, MRV is listed on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol MRVC. 

About Atlantech Online

Atlantech Online, founded in 1995, is a business-to-business Telephone and Internet Service Provider. Headquartered in Silver Spring, MD, the company provides telephone service, Internet connectivity services (T1, DS3, Fiber, and DSL), website hosting, dedicated and managed server hosting and collocation services. Information about Atlantech Online, Inc. can be found atwww.atlantech.net or by contacting the company directly at 800-256-1612.