VTel Deploys Clearfield for Vermont-Based FTTH Build

FieldSmart Platform Enables Telco to Protect Fiber for Sophisticated Network

MINNEAPOLIS, March 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearfield, Inc (Nasdaq:CLFD) today announced that Broadband Stimulus awardee Vermont Telephone Company (VTel) has started deploying its FieldSmart fiber management platform to VTel's more than 15,000 customers throughout its service area in southern Vermont. VTel was awarded federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding for its Wireless Open World (WOW) network to extend fiber to every home and business in the VTel service area and roll out 4G/LTE high speed, wireless broadband services throughout Vermont.

"Clearfield is an innovative provider of fiber management solutions," said Justin Robinson, president of VTel. "VTel selected the FieldSmart fiber platform, because of their expertise in consolidating, protecting, and distributing fiber not only in metropolitan communities, but also, and importantly, in rural markets."

VTel is delivering on its promise of bringing broadband, over both fiber and wireless technologies, to many of Vermont's unserved and underserved homes and businesses.

"At Clearfield, we recognize that each broadband service provider has a unique requirement due to the topology of their networks, the demands of their subscriber community and the overall competitive landscape in which they operate," commented Cheri Beranek, president and CEO of Clearfield. "Over the last year, Clearfield's sales and engineering staff has been consulting with the technical staff at VTel to ensure we designed the optimum configuration for their requirements. We look forward to continuing our collaboration as the build initiatives continue."

About Clearfield

Clearfield, Inc. (Nasdaq:CLFD) designs, manufactures and distributes fiber optic management 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 Plymouth, MN, Clearfield deploys millions of fiber ports each year throughout North America.

About VTel

VTel is a family-owned telephone company whose network began serving rural Vermont in 1890. It operates a four-state optical fiber network from Vermont with connections to New York City, Boston, and Montreal, with speeds of 1 Gig to 100 Gig, serving some of the most intensive data users in the northeast. VTel is also one of the largest owners of FCC wireless licenses in Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York, and is working with Vermont's largest public utilities to use 700 MHz to deploy statewide Smart Grid throughout Vermont. For more information, visit www.vermontel.com.

CONTACT: Clearfield PR Contact
         Christy Kemp
         Calysto Communications
         Tel: + 1 404 266 2060 x539
         ckemp@calysto.com

Released March 14, 2012