FONS Expands Test Facility

MARLBORO, Mass. -- Fiber Optic Network Solutions (FONS) Corporation, a leading passive fiber connectivity solutions provider, announced today that it has significantly expanded its testing capabilities within the company's Passive Fiber Optic Component (PFOC) laboratory under Verizon's PFOC certification program. In addition to FONS' current PFOC certifications for GR-326, GR-1209 and GR-1221 testing of fiber optic assemblies, connectors and couplers achieved in the fall of 2004, FONS has now extended testing capabilities to test optical splice closures, optical fiber demarcation boxes and hardened fiber optic connectors at the company's Marlboro laboratories. Under the observance of a Verizon-approved Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL), FONS ensures that GR-771, GR-2898 and GR-3120 testing is conducted on its products to meet Verizon's stringent requirements.

With extensive testing capabilities for fiber to the premises (FTTP) applications, FONS is able to further accelerate product testing and approval while assuring the highest standards on all processes and quality controls. With local management of testing activities and quality processes, FONS can independently validate that its products are optimally designed for FTTP's harsh environmental applications and service life requirements, that the manufacturing process is controlled and executed properly, and that manufacturing conditions consistently produce high quality products.

"Over the past few years, FONS has invested millions of dollars in advanced environmental, mechanical and optical test equipment and capabilities that has allowed us to take the manufacture of passive connectivity solutions to new heights and to guarantee higher levels of performance effectively reducing our customers' risks of deploying FTTP networks," states Michael J. Noonan, President and CEO of FONS. "With our expanded testing capabilities, we are able to not only continue to provide FTTP product solutions that are tested to the highest industry standards and necessary environmental conditions, but also provide additional, valuable benefits and efficiencies that enable accelerated and more cost effective network deployments. FONS remains committed to introduce new and innovative solutions to the market that help reduce the cost and to speed the deployment of FTTP networks. Testing these products to make certain they meet the most demanding testing requirements in the industry demonstrates our commitment to provide the highest quality products available to our expanding list of FTTP customers."

Fiber Optic Network Solutions Corp. (FONS)