Global optical transport revenues up 9%, but North American optical sales slow, say analysts

August 25, 2004 Redwood City, CA -- The total optical transport equipment market grew 9% in the second quarter of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003, reveals a new report from market research firm Dell'Oro Group.

In the second quarter of this year, the North American market declined 5% year-over-year after four consecutive quarters of growth, while the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) market grew 33% year-over-year as PTTs such as Telecom Italia boosted purchases of optical transport equipment to support increased broadband adoption.

"In 2Q04, Alcatel and Nortel were the leaders in the optical transport market, and the only two vendors with greater than 10% market share," reports Jimmy Yu, senior analyst for Optical Transport Research at Dell'Oro Group. "Alcatel took advantage of widespread broadband adoption to lead sales of SONET/SDH and optical switch equipment, while Nortel held the advantage in the DWDM segment with strong sales of the OM5200 in North America."

Fujitsu and Lucent also registered a strong second quarter, with Fujitsu experiencing a 29% year-over-year increase and Lucent a 20% increase.

For more information about Dell'Oro Group's "Optical Transport Quarterly Report," visit the company's Web site at www.delloro.com.