Nexans Consolidates Its Position as Stokab’s Main Supplier of Optical Fibre Equipment for Broadband Expansion Projects

Regulatory News:

Nexans (Paris:NEX), the worldwide leader in the cable industry, has signed a new two-year frame agreement with AB Stokab, the infrastructure company owned by the City of Stockholm, Sweden. The contract covers the supply of ancillary equipment, such as ODFs (Optical Distribution Frames) to support the installation of optical fibre networks as part of Stokab's project to expand the broadband infrastructure in the Stockholm area. The total value of this project is around 15 million Euros, with Nexans products forming a significant proportion.

Stokab is carrying out a major expansion of Stockholm’s FTTX optical fibre infrastructure to enable it to provide high speed broadband to households. Nexans successfully fought off stiff competition to retain its position as Stokab’s main supplier of fibre optic installation equipment. The new contract covers products such as pre-assembled ODFs and related components used to construct urban nodes. The existing Nexans contract for optical fibre cables, of the ribbon slotted core type, has also been extended by one year.

Crowned as the intelligent community of the year 2009 by ICF (The Intelligent Community Forum), Stockholm will be equipped with another innovation provided by Stokab. It has created a unique infrastructure in the Stockholm and Lake Mälaren Region, rolling out what is probably the world's largest open fibre optic communication network. Stokab leases fibre connections to its customers, ranging from operators and service providers to companies and public organizations. Even though the geographical coverage in the region is already very extensive, Stokab is constantly expanding and filling in the network in Stockholm. The aim is to reach every household and offer a network connection to all property owners and co-operatives.

Nexans has a long standing relationship with Stokab as a major supplier of optical fibre equipment. Between 2007 and 2009, Nexans supplied installation equipment and optical fibre cables for Stokab's "Allmännyttan" (Public Housing) project, which involved expanding the infrastructure for the City of Stockholm’s Housing Service (almost 100,000 flats in total).

"Nexans has consistently met our high quality requirements, and is always very responsive to our requests for new products. Our continuing cooperation guarantees that our network will maintain its world-class status into the future,” says Anders Broberg, Communication Director at Stokab.

"We are delighted that Stokab chose Nexans as their partner in this project. Stokab has played an important part in product development at Nexans over the last 15 years,” says Stefan Olsson, Country Manager of Nexans Sweden. ”Our renewed contract with Stokab further consolidates our close collaboration, and is proof that Stokab appreciates our reliable deliveries and innovative products”.

The pre-assembled ODFs and related mechanical components are mainly manufactured at various Nexans plants in Sweden. Some of the subcomponents are manufactured by Nexans partners in Asia. The optical fibre cables are manufactured at the Nexans production facility in Grimsås. The deliveries will start immediately.

About Stokab

Stokab is an IT infrastructure company owned by the City of Stockholm, with the purpose of stimulating economic growth in the Stockholm and Lake Mälar Region by providing an open and competition-neutral fibre network. Stokab offers fibre optic communication solutions on equal terms to operators, companies and public organizations that need data communication.

About Nexans

With energy as the basis of its development, Nexans, the worldwide leader in the cable industry, offers an extensive range of cables and cabling systems. The Group is a global player in the infrastructure, industry, building and Local Area Network markets. Nexans addresses a series of market segments from energy, transport and telecom networks to shipbuilding, oil and gas, nuclear power, automotive, electronics, aeronautics, handling and automation. With an industrial presence in 39 countries and commercial activities worldwide, Nexans employs 22,400 people and had sales in 2008 of 6.8 billion Euros. Nexans is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris, compartment A. More information on http://www.nexans.com/