PLANO, Texas – DZS (NASDAQ: DZSI), a global leader in optical and packet-based mobile transport, broadband connectivity, and software defined networking solutions, today announced that its President and CEO, Charlie Vogt, has joined the Board of Directors for The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), the leading standards organization dedicated to advancing innovation and transformation in the ICT industry. Mr. Vogt has also joined the Next G Alliance's Full Member Group, a newly launched initiative that unites many of the most prominent and forward-looking companies in the mobile industry in a shared commitment to advance 5G technology, look ahead to the 6G future and put North America at the fore of technology leadership for the next decade and beyond.

"ATIS is one of the preeminent forums focused on developing and implementing global standards and collaborating on the most critical issues facing the telecommunications industry today," said Charlie Vogt, President and CEO of DZS. "From my team's work with ATIS while I was CEO of GENBAND (now Ribbon Communications), I know how important the organization's work is, and am thrilled to re-join their efforts – and those of the forward-thinking Next G Alliance – to advance industry transformation, particularly in the face of emerging technologies like 5G, 6G, IoT, NFV and Cloud networks. With our ongoing commitment to open standards and leading-edge innovation, DZS offers service providers worldwide unparalleled 'freedom of choice' as they prepare themselves for the future of the communications industry."

Mr. Vogt is a seasoned leader in the communications market with over 30 years of professional experience leading organizations and industries through massive transformation – two decades of those as CEO. Before joining DZS in August 2020, Mr. Vogt was president and CEO of four companies: ATX Networks, a global leader of optical access networking and media distribution solutions, Imagine Communications, a world-leading provider of video software and unified distribution solutions, GENBAND (now Ribbon Communications), a global leader in IP networking and software solutions, and Taqua, a market leader in softswitch technology. Earlier in his career, Mr. Vogt was instrumental in the operational and financial growth of several standard-setting technology companies which included ADTRAN and Ascend Communications that either became public companies or were acquired.

"There is strong alignment between DZS and ATIS' Innovation Agenda as well as the mission of ATIS' Next G Alliance, with its focus on 6G technology and beyond," said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. "Charlie is well-known to the ATIS Board of Directors and we look forward to his leadership."

With its 150 member companies, ATIS brings the ICT industry together to address common, critical priorities. As the North American founding Organization Partner of 3GPP, ATIS is instrumental in helping move the industry into the 5G future and beyond. As a member of the ATIS Board of Directors, Charlie joins Andre Fuetsch, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer of AT&T; David Young, VP, Public Policy, Verizon; and executives from Comcast, Ciena, T-Mobile and others. In this role, Charlie will help define the organization's Innovation Agenda, which sets the overarching technology strategy, direction and priorities for the organization in line with the future of the industry. The organization's focus will be on emerging technologies such as 6G, 5G, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled networks, context-award identity management, robocall mitigation, cybersecurity, IoT, Smart Cities, distributed ledger/blockchain technology, unmanned aerial vehicles, emergency services, quality of service, billing support, operations and more.

ATIS founded the Next G Alliance in October 2020. The industry initiative is designed to advance North American mobile technology leadership in 6G and beyond over the next decade. It encompasses the full lifecycle of research and development, manufacturing, standardization and market readiness. In addition to DZS, members include many of the largest service providers and ecosystem innovators in the North American wireless industry, including: AT&T, Bell Canada, Ciena, Ericsson, Facebook, InterDigital, JMA Wireless, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Telus, Telnyx, T-Mobile, UScellular and Verizon.

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