LINTHICUM, Md. -- Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ:CIEN), the network specialist, today announced that its CN 4200™ FlexSelect™ Advanced Services Platform has achieved technical acceptance under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Rural Development Telecommunications Program, which offers funding and low-cost loans to service providers investing in networks that serve rural communities.

This technical acceptance authorizes Ciena’s CN 4200 platform for use in telecommunications networks built with loans from the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and indicates that the platform meets strict requirements for field performance and compliance to standards. Now, independent telephone and utility companies can obtain low-interest financial assistance from the RUS for the purchase and deployment of Ciena’s CN 4200 to help bring a variety of telecommunications services to rural areas of the United States.

“In addition to basic Internet access needs, the rise of voice, video and data service bundles is generating demand from rural service providers for high-performance, high-bandwidth networks,” said Tom Mock, senior vice president of strategic planning for Ciena. “Earning RUS Acceptance for the CN 4200 enables Ciena and our partners to bring the benefits of the platform’s unique service flexibility and performance capabilities to even more networks in rural communities.”

Ciena Corp. (NYSE: CIEN)