CORNING, N.Y. -- Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW - News) today announced that SMITCOMS, an international telecommunication services provider on the Island of St. Maarten, has signed a contract with NSW Submarine Cable Systems Inc. to provide a turnkey submarine cable system linking St. Maarten to Puerto Rico. NSW Submarine Cable Systems, Inc., a Corning Cable Systems company, is responsible for submarine cable sales in the Americas. Submarine cable projects outside the Americas are handled by NSW GmbH & Co. KG, a German company and subsidiary of Corning Incorporated.

Under the contract, NSW will provide the 374 km turnkey submarine cable system, titled St. Maarten Puerto Rico Network One. In addition to the supply and installation of the undersea cable, NSW will also provide the survey, civil works and other services. With this optical fiber system, SMITCOMS strengthens its position as an international carrier for St. Maarten.

"This submarine cable system will allow SMITCOMS to provide St. Maarten businesses and residents with the highest quality of international telecommunication services," said Curtis Haynes, managing director of SMITCOMS.

"With NSW's record of exceptional quality and service, we feel confident that the system will be a success," said Franklin Meyers, commissioner for public health, communications and sports of the Island Territory of St. Maarten.

"NSW is extremely pleased to have been awarded this contract," said Ignacio Ospino, executive vice president of NSW. "We provide only the best products and services, and will work with SMITCOMS to ensure this project will provide St. Maarten with unparalleled international telecommunications services."

In a separate release:

HICKORY, N.C. -- Corning Cable Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of fiber optic and copper communications network infrastructure solutions, introduces the Network Access Point (NAP) Closure, designed to enhance the cost-effective deployment of fiber deeper in the access network.

The Corning Cable Systems NAP Closure is designed to provide a low-cost aerial terminal optimized for optical access architectures. The terminal is easy to re-enter, allowing for incremental interconnection of subscribers’ drop cables and an increase in deployment velocity.

The NAP Closure offers enhanced integration of couplers/splitters and/or optical connectors into the terminal design. It is designed to separate the distribution cable splicing and storage from the drop cable termination, interconnection and splicing. The fiber terminal provides express distribution cable routing to reduce installation complexity and splice losses.

Additionally, Corning Cable Systems’ NAP Closure features quick-release clamps for easy closure re-entry, individual strain-relief and sealing of all cables. It contains reusable gel seals for all cable ports and integrated connector panels for preterminated drop cables. The NAP Closure is mountable to either a strand, pole, wall or pedestal, and supports up to eight drop cables containing one to 12 fibers. It meets the Telcordia TR-TSY-000949 requirements.

The NAP Closure will be featured in Corning Cable Systems’ booth (#1535) at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2003, to be held May 12-14 in Philadelphia, Penn. It is part of Corning Cable Systems Evolant™ Solutions for Broadband Networks, delivering network migration, design-through-installation expertise and tip-to-tip product and service offering for the headend/hub, distribution network and customer premises.

In a separate release:

HICKORY, N.C. -- Corning Cable Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of fiber optic and copper communications network infrastructure solutions, has reduced the size of its SST-Optimizer™ Cable. Up to 72 fibers are now available in a cable with an outer diameter as small as 6.0 mm.

The small outer diameter of SST-Optimizer Cable makes it ideal for micro duct applications. Installing a Corning Cable Systems SST-Optimizer Cable that matches current network capacity requirements can decrease cable costs by up to 50 percent. As fiber demand increases, a new mini cable can easily be installed into an additional micro duct, allowing for a quick upgrade to the latest fiber technology.

Twelve to 72 fibers are offered in an SST-Optimizer Cable with an outer diameter of 6.0 mm and a short-term tensile rating of 110 lbf. Corning Cable Systems also offers a 12- to 72-fiber cable with a tensile rating of 300 lbf, which is fully compliant with GR-20.

SST-Optimizer Cable consists of bundles of color-coded fibers in a central-tube design. The single-tube design with dielectric yarns has no preferential bend, and the unique woven binder provides easy fiber bundle segregation and simplified fiber handling. The craft-friendly cable construction facilitates the drop of any number of fibers at any access point and access of any individual fiber in future midspan access. Corning Cable Systems offers an integrated system of SST-Optimizer Cable, splice closures, hardware accessories and project management services optimized for micro duct systems.

SST-Optimizer™ Cable will be featured in Corning Cable Systems’ booth (#1535) at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2003, to be held May 12-14 in Philadelphia, Penn. The cable is part of Corning Cable Systems Evolant™ Solutions for Broadband Networks, delivering network migration, design-through-installation expertise and tip-to-tip product and service offering for the headend/hub, distribution network and customer premises.

Corning Cable Systems (CCS)