MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. and OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLFD), the specialist in fiber management and connectivity platforms for communications providers, has deployed a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) using access solution hardware from Zhone Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZHNE) at its manufacturing and operations facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The companies also announced their intention to co-market GPON solutions for enterprise customers and develop integrated hardware/software solutions that optimize the implementation of Clearfield's fiber optic products with Zhone's fiber access solutions.

Clearfield, Inc. designs, manufactures and distributes fiber optic management products, helping service providers reduce the high costs associated with deploying, managing, protecting and scaling a fiber optic network to deliver mobile, residential and business services. With the popularity of fiber-based Local Area Networks (LANs) and GPON networks increasing, Clearfield is aggressively expanding, which led it to lease a new 70,000-square-foot space for its company headquarters earlier this year.

"When we built our new headquarters in Minneapolis, we chose to walk the talk," said Cheri Beranek, Chief Executive Officer and President, Clearfield, Inc. "We needed a broadband network with screaming speeds that would showcase the benefits of fiber optic solutions while also supporting the needs of our employees now and far into the future. A Gigabit Passive Optical Network was the answer, and Zhone provided the key access solutions to make it happen."

Michael McMillan, Chief Information Officer at Clearfield Inc., was tasked with overseeing the deployment of the GPON network at the facility that contains both manufacturing space and an office environment. The space houses up to 100 employees at any given time, so the network had to support approximately 500 devices, including 150 PC workstations and VoIP phones, peripheral devices such as wireless printers, and mobile devices dependent on wi-fi connections.

"As an IT professional who has been running traditional copper Ethernet for 25 years, initially this was outside my comfort zone," said Michael McMillan, Chief Information Officer, Clearfield, Inc. "Once the project was completed, I found the GPON network to perform exceptionally well. It is 100 percent reliable and breathtakingly fast."

Zhone Technologies' hardware was paired with Clearfield's patented Clearview™ Cassette products, a single-architected, modular fiber management platform. Utilizing the Clearview Blue Cassette and the Clearview xPak Cassette, McMillan lowered the cost of the deployment and its maintenance while ensuring Clearfield can expand the network without having to reconfigure it when and if the company expands into the remainder of the building that is not currently leased or occupied. Zhone Technologies' 2624 Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) enabled with four-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) were mounted on each desk while 2804 ONTs were mounted on the walls in private offices. Eight-port 2608 ONTs were used to support connectivity at guest desks where out-of-town employees work when they visit the facility. The network is supported by Zhone's MXK-319 with seven line cards, providing service to as many as 360 Active Ethernet subscribers. The result is a network that can deliver up to one gigabit throughout to every single desk in the facility – a capacity that is only limited by the throughput of the electronic devices.

It only took eight weeks to deploy the network from the moment McMillan ordered the equipment to the day employees moved into the office. "The GPON system was fast and easy to design, administer and install," McMillan adds. "So far it has been absolutely bullet proof. I would recommend that anyone who is considering a network migration, major renovations or a new build, to spend a day on a GPON network to see what it can do."

About Clearfield, Inc. 
Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) designs, manufactures and distributes fiber optic management, protection and delivery products for the communications networks of leading ILECS, CLECs, MSO/cable TV companies and mobile broadband providers. We help service providers solve the Fiber Puzzle, which is how to reduce high costs associated with deploying, managing, protecting and scaling a fiber optic network to deliver the mobile, residential and business services customers want. Based on the patented Clearview™ Cassette, our unique single-architected, modular fiber management platform is designed to lower the cost of broadband deployment and maintenance by consolidating, protecting and distributing incoming and outgoing fiber circuits and enable our customers to scale their operations as their subscriber revenues increase. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Clearfield deploys millions of fiber ports each year throughout North America and beyond.

Full product information, whitepapers and demonstration video are available at SeeClearfield.com.

About Zhone Technologies

Zhone Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZHNE) is a global leader in the fiber access market, serving more than 750 of the world's most innovative network operators. The IP Zhone is the only solution that enables service providers to build the network of the future today, supporting end-to-end Voice, Data, Entertainment Social Media, Business, Mobile Backhaul and Mobility service. Zhone is committed to building the fastest and highest quality All IP Multi-Service solution for its customers. Zhone is headquartered in California and its products are manufactured in the USA in a facility that is emission, wastewater and CFC free.

Zhone, the Zhone logo, and all Zhone product names are trademarks of Zhone Technologies, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders. Specifications, products, and/or product names are all subject to change without notice.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include, among others, statements that refer to financial estimates; projections of revenue, margins, expenses or other financial items. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, commercial acceptance of the Company's products; intense competition in the communications equipment market; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy and operating plans; and economic conditions specific to the communications, networking, internet and related industries. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in the Company's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including without limitation, the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

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SOURCE Zhone Technologies, Inc.; Clearfield, Inc.