South Slope Partners With Clearfield(R) for FTTH Overbuild in Iowa

First Phase of 7-year, 310-Square Mile Fiber Deployment is Underway

FieldSmart FxDS to become the fiber management standard; FxDS and other elements of the FieldSmart product platform will be on display at TelcoTV2010: Clearfield Booth #253, November 9-11 in Las Vegas

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 3, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- South Slope Cooperative Communications Company, Iowa's largest independent cooperative telephone company, is partnering with Clearfield, Inc. (Nasdaq:CLFD) on a major Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment that will ultimately cover 310 square miles between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The project began recently in the North Liberty exchange, which is the first of a multi-phase FTTH "overbuild" of South Slope's entire incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) service area. According to South Slope Transmissions Systems Engineer Phil Jones, the company has been offering FTTH for six years and has approximately 2,500 subscribers. In addition to North Liberty, South Slope serves approximately 15 Iowa communities.

Because of the tens of thousands of individual fibers being deployed as part of the active Ethernet solution, Clearfield's fiber management expertise was required. Clearfield's FieldSmart® Fiber Crossover Distribution System (FxDS), a custom-configured system of fiber management components that reduces the cost of fiber deployment, while maximizing ease of use and system density, will help South Slope manage the myriad fibers. Simply stated, with so many fibers coming in, they needed a fiber management solution to route the jumpers in an efficient manner, and also looked clean and orderly.

"We were looking for something that fit our vision and had the appearance to go along with it. The FxDS line provided us with both," Jones said.

As part of that vision, South Slope will offer its customers broadband services such as "triple play," Ethernet, high speed internet, high definition television and telephone service.

Clearfield, which began partnering with South Slope several years ago, has grown along with the Iowa communications company, Jones explained. "It has been a great partnership, and they have provided us with good reliable products over the years. They have been able to meet short deadlines for products needed, and still provide a quality product in doing so. It is always a pleasure working with them."

About South SlopeSouth Slope Cooperative Communications Company is committed to providing quality service and the best telecommunication services to its members at the lowest possible cost. South Slope serves the communities of Amana, Ely, Fairfax, Newhall, North Liberty, Norway, Oxford, Solon, Shueyville, Tiffin, Watkins, Walford, Western, South Cedar Rapids, and parts of Coralville.

South Slope's headquarters is located at 980 North Front Street, North Liberty, Iowa.  For more information, call (319) 626-2211 or go to www.southslope.com.  

About Clearfield, Inc. Clearfield, Inc. designs the FieldSmart fiber management platform — the only fiber management platform to be designed around a single architecture for the inside plant, outside plant and access network. Scaling from 12 to 1728 ports, FieldSmart supports a wide range of panel and cabinet configurations, densities, connectors and adapter options, and are offered alongside an assortment of passive optical components. Clearfield provides a complete line of fiber and copper assemblies for inside plant, outside plant and access networks. Clearfield is a public company traded on Nasdaq:CLFD.

For more information on Clearfield or the FieldSmart product line, contact your sales representative or visit us online at www.ClearfieldConnection.com.

CONTACT:  Clearfield, Inc. 
          Gary Young 
          612-247-8123
          garydyoung@comcast.net

Released November 3, 2010