ADVA OPTICAL NETWORKING ACHIEVES #1 POSITION IN EUROPEAN METRO WDM MARKET IN FOURTH QUARTER 2002

Martinsried/Munich, Germany; Mahwah/New Jersey, USA. February 24, 2003. ADVA Optical Networking (FSE: ADV), a leading global provider of optical networking solutions, today announced that it has achieved the #1 position in the metro Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transport and switch market for the European, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region in the fourth quarter 2002, according to a recently-published market share report by international market research firm Infonetics Research. The firm's analysis shows that ADVA captured 26% of the EMEA market in the fourth quarter 2002 to be the #1 ranked vendor. ADVA garnered 13% of the entire worldwide market in both the fourth quarter and full-year 2002, making it the #2 vendor of metro WDM optical networking solutions.

"ADVA's share of the metro WDM market as the #1 vendor in Europe and #2 vendor worldwide has been steady and solid over the past year, because the company has executed very well in difficult market conditions," commented Michael Howard, Principle Analyst and Co-Founder at Infonetics Research. "ADVA's targeted product portfolio and leveraged distribution strategy are critical factors for their growing momentum."

"2002 marked an important year for ADVA - a year in which we made significant strides in expanding our customer base and delivering stable revenues in an extremely weak market environment," stated Brian P. McCann, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at ADVA Optical Networking. "We will continue to expand our market opportunity with new products and features that deliver on the promise of helping customers rapidly and cost-effectively deploy high-speed metro services."

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ABOUT INFONETICS RESEARCH
Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm covering the data networking and telecommunications industries in North America, Europe, and Asia. Infonetics helps companies develop, market, and sell smarter by providing objective analysis of end-users, service providers, and product manufacturers through in-depth research studies, quarterly market share and forecast services, and consulting and custom research services.

ABOUT ADVA OPTICAL NETWORKING
ADVA Optical Networking is a leading global provider of optical networking solutions for rapid and cost-effective provisioning of high-speed data, storage, voice, and video services in the metropolitan area. ADVA's carrier-class portfolio is comprised of the Fiber Service Platform family of products - explicitly designed to ensure the lowest total cost of ownership. ADVA's solutions have been deployed at over 70 carriers and service providers (including PTTs, RBOCs, LECs, and IXCs) and more than 500 enterprises worldwide. ADVA's products are sold through an international network of blue-chip distribution partners in addition to its own direct sales force. Further information about ADVA Optical Networking: www.advaoptical.com.