UTStarcom inks partnership with DASAN Networks at OFC 2014

UTStarcom (NASDAQ: UTSI) says it reached a cooperation agreement last week at OFC 2014 in San Francisco with fellow equipment developer DASAN Networks. The partnership will see the companies collaborate on design, development, and marketing of new products for cable TV, mobile, and telecommunications service providers.

The agreement centers on the two companies’ fiber-optic network activities. UTStarcom says it will bring its expertise gained via the development of its MPLS-TP/Carrier Ethernet-based packet optical transport products and Software-defined Open Optical network (SOO) software-defined networking (SDN) platform. DASAN Network will leverage its GPON broadband access products. Together, the two companies can create and end-to-end optical transport portfolio, particularly for carriers operating metropolitan networks, UTStarcom says.

"UTStarcom and DASAN Networks share a vision to bring together the expertise of two companies at the forefront of their respective fields of telecommunications technology," said William Wong, UTStarcom's CEO. "It is a sign of our intention to share resources to create a new class of optical networking products and bring them to market faster than otherwise possible, helping both companies to enhance and maintain their market leadership."

The partnership has worldwide aspirations, with the U.S. as a key target. UTStarcom notes the collaboration also will improve its access to DASAN Networks’ home market of Korea.

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