Press Release

September 25, 2006 - Wave7 Optics and EMBARQ Logistics to Deploy New FTTP Network for Ridgeville Telephone Company in Ohio. Ridgeville to Use Wave7’s Trident7™ Optical Access Platform for Gigabit EPON-based VOIP, Data and IPTV Services.

ATLANTA – September 25, 2006 – Wave7 Optics Inc., a leading supplier of fiber-to-the-home or -premises (FTTH/FTTP) equipment for residential and business services, and EMBARQ Logistics, the distribution and supply chain arm of EMBARQ CORPORATION (NYSE: EQ), today announced the companies are teaming to deliver next generation optical access equipment to Ridgeville Telephone Company in Ridgeville, Ohio.

EMBARQ Logistics will deploy the Wave7 Optics Trident7™ Optical Access Platform, configured for EPON (the IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet in the First Mile standard) based services, as part of a multi-year project. The first connections to Ridgeville customers are targeted for later this year.

EMBARQ Logistics emphasizes a comprehensive view of FTTx deployments including business case analysis, product selection, technical training, and logistics management. "This common sense, practical approach is designed to help service providers like Ridgeville Telephone achieve the over-riding business goals of their deployment efficiently and effectively," said Brad Clark, vice president of Sales and Marketing for EMBARQ Logistics.

A typical residential package will comprise 150 channels of RF television, one or two traditional or VOIP telephone lines, and a data service up to 5 Mb/s. Ridgeville Telephone, whose CLEC operations have an addressable market of more than 50,000 residential and business access lines in northwest Ohio, also plans to incorporate IPTV and music channels at a later date. Enterprise customers will enjoy 10/100 Ethernet Base-T, multiple phone lines, VLAN and similar "business class" services.

"As a leader in helping communications companies build next-generation networks, EMBARQ Logistics looks at many aspects when we choose equipment to distribute," added Clark. "The Trident7 met the technical, installation and financial criteria for Ridgeville Telephone."

"We began our FTTP project last year with another vendor’s equipment and soon realized that the feature set failed to meet all of our requirements and expectations," said Ken Miller, GM of Ridgeville Telephone. "Working with EMBARQ Logistics, we found that the Trident7 scales much better, effectively leverages existing Ethernet infrastructure and provides a better platform for triple play services, in particular IPTV."

"The Trident7 is the most flexible FTTP platform in the industry and the Ridgeville project illustrates well that quality," said Emmanuel Vella, Chief Marketing Officer, Wave7 Optics. "The Trident7 works well in either a centralized or distributed PON architecture and offers many unique or patent-pending FTTP innovations, including multi-layer QoS for enterprise services and idle-code mitigation for the highest quality video."

Wave7 Optics is exhibiting the complete Trident7 and its Last Mile Link™ product lines at the FTTH Council Conference in Las Vegas, October 2 -- 5, at The Venetian Resort (booth 121). In addition, Wave7 Optics CTO, Jim Farmer, is participating in the panel discussion and presentation, "FTTH Success Stories – Municipal Networks," on October 3rd, 11 am – 12 pm and is giving a paper, "Optical Considerations in FTTH Networks," on October 4th, 10:30 – 11:00 am. Stephen Thomas, Chief Architect for Wave7 Optics, will present his paper, "OAM&P in Passive Optical Networks," on October 4th, 1:45 – 2:15 pm.

About EMBARQ

EMBARQ (NYSE: EQ), headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, offers a complete suite of common sense communications services. The company has approximately 20,000 employees and operates in 18 states. EMBARQ, which is expected to rank among the Fortune 500, is included in the S&P 500.

For consumers, EMBARQ offers an innovative portfolio of services that includes reliable local and long distance home phone service, high-speed Internet, wireless, and Dish Network satellite TV – all on one monthly bill.

For businesses, EMBARQ has a comprehensive range of flexible and integrated services designed to help businesses of all sizes be more productive and communicate with their customers. This service portfolio includes integrated local voice and data services, long distance, Business Class DSL, wireless, enhanced data network services, voice and data communication equipment and managed network services.

EMBARQ believes that by focusing on the communities the company serves and by employing common sense and practical ingenuity, it is able to provide customers with a committed partner, dedicated customer service and innovative products for work and home. For more information, visit embarq.com.

About Wave7 Optics

Wave7 Optics has established itself as an industry leader in optical broadband access systems with an expanding FTTP product portfolio featuring a variety of architectural options, based on IP and Ethernet or ATM standards, for "triple play" voice, video and data services. The company's patented Last Mile Link and Trident7 systems are rapidly gaining market share around the world with service providers in the IOC, CLEC, cable MSO, municipal, utility and real estate development categories.

For more information please contact

<Back>