Smartoptics Group AS

Regulatory Filings • May 29, 2024

SoSmart simplifies rural ROADM deployment with PTCI in Oklahoma panhandle

SoSmart simplifies rural ROADM deployment with PTCI in Oklahoma panhandle

Oslo, Norway - May 29, 2024 - Smartoptics, a leading provider of optical

networking solutions, today announced that Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

(PTCI) based in Oklahoma, US, has chosen Smartoptics for a new ROADM-based

network. The SoSmart software suite is used for planning and easily managing the

ROADMs. Interoperability and a lack of license fees ensure an open and cost

-efficient solution.

PTCI serves rural areas of the Oklahoma Panhandle and Texas, providing cellular,

internet and phone service to both residential and business customers. The new

Smartoptics solution is designed to meet requests from neighboring communities

to pass through PTCI's network. Smartoptics DCP-R ROADMs along with the

Smartoptics SoSmart Software Suite provide the flexibility and ease of use

needed to manage this effectively.

"We carefully considered multiple vendors to find the best solution. After

seeing what SoSmart could do for us in terms of managing the solution, the

decision was much easier," says Randy Yell, Broadband Network & Data Services

Manager, PTCI.

"The software suite overall, but especially SoSmart Planner, was the easiest

thing we have seen and solid as could be. I can quickly onboard people who are

not familiar with the software at all. They can use the planner to build out

what they want in the network, execute with very little steps involved and save

time with automatic provisioning. This is important for rural operators like us,

with long distances to cover. Based on price, functionality and ease of use, I

don't know a better vendor than Smartoptics," says Randy.

PTCI's 10-node ROADM network connects sites in northern Texas with the Oklahoma

Panhandle. The DCP-1203 transponder and DCP-110 muxponder are also used to load

100G and 10G traffic onto the network. The openness and proven interoperability

of the Smartoptics solution makes it easier for PTCI to connect with the

networks of the neighboring communities.

"At Smartoptics, we pride ourselves on offering truly open solutions with zero

license fees for alien wavelengths to eliminate vendor lock-in. Our solutions

are also designed to simplify architectures, reduce the energy and rack

footprint and improve cost efficiency. Support for aggregation of multiple links

to one higher bitrate plays a key role here. We are proud to support PTCI in

providing affordable and fast connectivity, allowing neighboring communities to

benefit from their smart network investments and reliability," says Kevin

Robinson, Vice President of Sales Americas, Smartoptics.

For more information please contact:

Magnus Grenfeldt

CEO

Smartoptics

+46 73-366 88 77

E-mail: magnus.grenfeldt@smartoptics.com

About Smartoptics

Smartoptics provides innovative optical networking solutions and devices for the

new era of open networking. Our customer base includes thousands of enterprises,

governments, cloud providers, Internet exchanges as well as cable and telecom

operators. We have an open networking approach in everything we do which allows

our customers to break unwanted vendor lock-in, remain flexible and minimize

costs. Our solutions are used in metro and regional network applications that

increasingly rely on data center services and specifications. Smartoptics is a

Scandinavian company founded in 2006. We partner with leading technology and

network solution providers such as Brocade, Cisco and Dell and have a global

reach through more than 100 business partners.

For additional information about Smartoptics, please visit

https://smartoptics.com/

About PTCI

Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (PTCI) is the first Gig Certified internet

service provider in Oklahoma, offering affordable fiber-optic high-speed

internet and home and business phone services. Established in 1954, PTCI serves

rural residential and business customers in the Oklahoma Panhandle and parts of

the Texas Panhandle. Headquartered in Guymon, Oklahoma, PTCI has branch

locations in Boise City, OK; Beaver, OK; Laverne, OK; Spearman, TX; Perryton,

TX; and Canadian, TX. As a registered Smart Rural Community provider by NTCA-The

Rural Broadband Association, PTCI is dedicated to enhancing connectivity and

fostering growth in rural communities. For more information, visit www.ptci.net