Ignis awarded Korean splitter order

OCTOBER 17, 2007 -- Fi-ra Photonics Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Ignis ASA and sister company to Ignis Photonyx (search for Ignis Photonyx), has received a $300,000 order for delivery of optical splitters to LG PowerComm's new PON network in Korea.

The contract covers in excess of 25,000 lines for delivery this month, say Ignis representatives. Fi-ra is the sole splitter supplier in the project, and LG PowerComm is expected to rollout an additional 150,000 new PON lines in 2008. (Fi-ra Photonics is a 50.1% owned subsidiary of Ignis ASA.)

LG PowerComm is the third largest telecom operator in Korea with 1.6 million broadband subscribers. Although this is Fi-ra's first sub-supplier contract with LG PowerComm, the company says it has already established a leading market position in Korea through splitter deliveries to the market leader Korea Telecom.

"This contract is further proof of Fi-Ra Photonics' leading position in the high-growth market for fiber-to-the-home networks," contends Thomas Ramm, CEO of Ignis ASA. "Korea Telecom is rolling out a large-scale residential network this year, and this new program from LG PowerComm is further proof the major telecom operators in Korea are determined to follow up their aggressive rollout plans for high-speed networks."

The first order from LG PowerComm corresponds with approximately 25,600 lines. Overall, LG PowerComm is expected to roll out some 150,000 new PON lines in 2008, of which the majority will be on the current GE-PON standard, with the remainder on WDM-PON (search for WDM-PON).

"We are one of very few optical component suppliers with products for all the PON standards and should be well positioned regardless of the choice of standard," adds Ramm.

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