OTTAWA -- BTI Photonic Systems Inc., a leading global supplier of optical networking solutions for the build-out of new broadband services at the Metro Edge, today announced the appointment of Marco Pagani as Chairman of its Board of Directors. With extensive experience in Optical and Packet Networking and a proven track record for driving business momentum, Mr. Pagani will help propel BTI's growth strategy as an innovative leader in the optical industry.

Formerly President of Nortel's Metro Optical and Optical Ethernet Network divisions, Mr. Pagani has more than 20 years of experience delivering impressive growth results and establishing global market leadership. Mr. Pagani has been an integral member of BTI's Board of Directors since 2005.

"Marco's appointment provides us with an industry expert to assist us in setting our strategy and vetting our execution as we continue our aggressive market expansion," said Lance Laking, President and CEO of BTI Photonic Systems. "Marco has been an active member of BTI's board of directors and his appointment as chairman is a result of his vision, leadership and excellence. We are pleased to continue working with him on BTI's goal of providing the leading optical networking solution for the Metro Edge."

The global demand for broadband services delivery beyond large downtown core networks continues to surge at a rapid rate. As 3G, IPTV and fiber-to-the-home continue to grow, service providers are experiencing increasing pressure to deliver network capacity at the edge in a manner that scales economically. BTI's photonic layer approach with its NetstenderT WDM solution for broadband services connectivity in both the Metro Edge and Regional markets provides carriers with a superior value proposition to scale their networks.

"BTI is in an excellent position to take advantage of the massive shift towards Ethernet as the delivery medium for next-generation broadband services at the Metro Edge," said Marco Pagani, Chairman of BTI. "With the intense pressure carriers are under to deliver revenue and margin, BTI brings an agility, time to market and scalability advantage to customer's that is disrupting the optical industry at the network Edge."

BTI Systems Inc.