LINTHICUM, Md., and LONDON -- CIENA Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN) and FLAG Telecom (NASDAQ: FTHL; LSE: FTL) today announced that FLAG has awarded CIENA a contract to support FLAG's North Asia Loop network with CIENA's market-leading intelligent optical transport and switching systems. FLAG Telecom, a leading, independent, global carrier's carrier and network services provider, will deploy CIENA's MultiWave CoreStream(tm) and MultiWave CoreDirector(tm) systems for the FLAG North Asia Loop project - a submarine network that spans Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. CoreStream provides reliable, high-capacity optical transmission, and CoreDirector, with its embedded software intelligence, enables FLAG Telecom to efficiently manage bandwidth services across the North Asia region. In addition, CIENA will supply its MultiWave CoreStream platform on the FLAG Europe-Asia cable system, which connects Europe, the Middle East and Asia. CIENA is providing FLAG Telecom with an advanced optical transport solution that includes technologies such as forward error correction (FEC) and Raman amplification to support ultra-long network routes. "CIENA has the proven ability to deliver next-generation optical networking solutions that provide the scalability, reliability and cost-efficiency required for our customers' mission-critical applications," said Ed McCormack, chief operating officer, FLAG Telecom. "We are confident that the performance and functionality of CIENA's market-leading systems will add business value to the FLAG network and to our carrier customers, and we look forward to beginning a strategic relationship with CIENA." Ciena Corp. Flag Telecom