EMBARQ Selects Ciena’s CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform for Deployment Throughout Network

Solution gives EMBARQ greater bandwidth and service flexibility to
meet customers’ growing communications needs

LINTHICUM, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ciena^® Corporation
(NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, today announced that Embarq
Corporation (NYSE: EQ), has selected the CN 4200^®
FlexSelect^{â„¢} Advanced
Services Platform for deployment throughout its network. The solution
will support the aggregation and transport of a variety of residential
and business services.

EMBARQ selected Ciena’s CN 4200 for its
ability to dynamically increase bandwidth to handle growing capacity
demands. For example, with CN 4200, EMBARQ can theoretically carry the
entire collection of books in the Library of Congress –
or the equivalent of more than three billion voice calls at 64 Kbps each –
in approximately eight minutes across a single fiber.^*
In addition, the platform is capable of carrying multiple types of
voice, video and data traffic, eliminating the need for additional
equipment.

“Our customers are demanding new
bandwidth-intensive products for their communications needs, and EMBARQ
is committed to providing a network able to effectively meet those
demands,” said Jim Hansen, senior vice
president, Network Services at EMBARQ. “Our
promise to customers is to offer practical, innovative solutions for
their communications needs. This deployment gives us the added bandwidth
we need to fulfill that promise within our current capital program.”

EMBARQ is installing the Ciena CN 4200 platform across its service
territories. Currently, more than 100 nodes have been deployed.

“Customers like EMBARQ are making it clear
that network and service flexibility is crucial in successfully
implementing profitable convergence strategies,”
said Mike Aquino, senior vice president of worldwide sales at Ciena. “This
is consistent with our focus on delivering unprecedented network
flexibility, adaptability and manageability with our FlexSelect
Architecture, which is the only migration approach available today that
provides the service-enabled transport for the delivery of any end-user
service to any point on the network at any time.”

About Ciena’s CN 4200

With its unique FlexiPort technology and integrated Layer 0, Layer 1 and
Layer 2 multiplexing capabilities, Ciena’s CN
4200 platform goes far beyond the functionality of conventional
metropolitan WDM systems and SONET/SDH Multiservice Provisioning
Platforms (MSPPs) with an architecture designed to support not only today’s
advanced network services, but tomorrow’s as
well. Optimized to manage the transition from TDM-centric to
packet-centric environments, the CN 4200 family includes the CN 4200 MC
for edge-optimized optical services from the customer premises, the CN
4200 for aggregating services onto rings at metro hubs, and the CN 4200
RS for highly-scalable aggregation, grooming and routing of traffic at
major network interconnection points.

*Calculation made based on several assumptions, including that the
Library of Congress holds approximately 32 million books –
each on average with 250 pages, 40 lines per page, 80 characters per
line and eight bits per character – equaling
approximately 205 trillion bits. If running a 40-channel DWDM system at
OC-192 speeds, EMBARQ could push 205 trillion bits in approximately 8.5
minutes.

About Ciena

Ciena Corporation is the network specialist, focused on expanding the
possibilities for its customers’ networks
while reducing their cost of ownership. The company’s
systems, software and services target and cure specific network pain
points so that telcos, cable operators, governments and enterprises can
best exploit the new applications that are driving their businesses
forward. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.

About EMBARQ

Embarq Corporation (NYSE: EQ), headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas,
offers a complete suite of communications services. The company
has approximately 18,000 employees and operates in 18 states. EMBARQ is
included in the S&P 500 and is in the Fortune 500^®
list of America’s largest corporations.

For consumers, EMBARQ offers an innovative portfolio of services that
includes reliable local and long distance home phone service, high-speed
Internet, wireless, and satellite TV from DISH Network^®
-- all on one monthly bill.

For businesses, EMBARQ has a comprehensive range of flexible and
integrated services designed to help businesses of all sizes be more
productive and communicate with their customers. This service portfolio
includes local voice and data services, long distance, Business Class
High Speed Internet, wireless, satellite TV from DIRECTV^®,
enhanced data network services, voice and data communication equipment
and managed network services.

For more information, visit www.embarq.com.

Note to Ciena Investors

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on
current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and
uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to
the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could
differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and
uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk
factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2008. Forward-looking
statements include statements regarding Ciena's expectations, beliefs,
intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by
forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could,"
"estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or
similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information
included in this press release, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.