Hyperoptic selects EXFO to accelerate fibre optic network deployment

LONDON, June 17, 2021 — Hyperoptic, a leading full fibre broadband provider, today announced it has selected advanced network testing technology from EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO, TSX: EXF), the communications industry’s test, monitoring and analytics experts, to support its ambitious expansion plan across the United Kingdom.

Hyperoptic is a nationwide internet service provider (ISP) that installs and maintains its own dedicated fibre optic network. It services multi-dwelling units through to single houses across over 40 UK towns and cities, and it is expanding its footprint via its partnerships with over 250 developers and 50 councils.

Deployments of this scale require an approach that is focused on both a fast and high-quality rollout: a “first-time-right” build is essential for foundational network infrastructure. This approach also mitigates a major challenge to bottom lines in the form of costly return visits to fix connection problems—these additional “truck rolls” more than doubles the testing costs.¹ With its cloud-based Nova Fiber solution, EXFO’s technology will not only equip Hyperoptic to build their network right the first time, it will also allow the service provider’s teams to detect and fix common issues at a single point of intervention in the network, with just one truck roll.

“We are delighted to partner with EXFO, a company as completely fixated on quality as we are. Building it right the first time with high-tech network testing means that we will not only serve today’s customers, but generations to come,” said John Rich, Head of Test and Diagnostics, Hyperoptic. “EXFO’s Nova Fiber technology is the best of both worlds in that it is an off-the-shelf solution that is also highly flexible and customizable to our exacting needs, tailored to our engineers’ existing applications. Our customers can be confident that a Hyperoptic-built, EXFO-tested network means they are getting the very best.”

“Hyperoptic needed world-class testing for a world-class broadband network. As with all our customers, we were committed to working closely with Hyperoptic to adapt our solutions to their unique ecosystem,” said Wim te Niet, Vice President, Sales – EMEA, EXFO. “Nova Fiber leverages EXFO’s 35 years of fibre optic testing expertise, providing unmatched visibility into the quality of the build. This view is especially critical when service providers partner with contractors. And once the network is built, Hyperoptic will be able to remedy any issues in the network with one quick sweep. This kind of technology is a win for customers and service providers alike.”

About EXFO

EXFO (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF) develops smarter test, monitoring and analytics solutions for fixed and mobile network operators, webscale companies and equipment manufacturers in the global communications industry. Our customers count on us to deliver superior network performance, service reliability and subscriber insights. They count on our unique blend of equipment, software and services to accelerate digital transformations related to fibre, 4G/LTE and 5G deployments. They count on our expertise with automation, real-time troubleshooting and big data analytics, which are critical to their business performance. We’ve spent over 35 years earning this trust, and today 1,900 EXFO employees in over 25 countries work side by side with our customers in the lab, field, data centre and beyond.

About Hyperoptic 

Hyperoptic was founded in 2011 to shake up the UK broadband market with its “full” fibre optic technology. It offers consumers and businesses gigabit-capable broadband with average speeds of up to 900Mbps, which is over 11x faster than the UK average.

It works with property owners, developers and professionals, designing and installing dedicated fibre infrastructure to new buildings and existing developments. It focuses exclusively on high density urban areas.

The company has been awarded the ‘Best Superfast Broadband’ provider by the Internet Service Providers’ Association for six years running. It has also been listed in the Sunday Times Sage Tech Track 100 for four years in a row. In the last year it’s been recognised as the ‘Fastest Ultrafast Provider (downloading)’ and ‘Fastest Ultrafast Provider (uploading)’ by the Broadband Genie awards and won both ‘The Service Award’ and ‘The Innovation Award’ at the inaugural Compare the Market Simples Awards.

For more information, please see: https://hyperoptic.com/ or email press@hyperoptic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements - EXFO

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbours created thereby. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical information or statements of current condition. Words such as may, expect, believe, plan, anticipate, intend, could, estimate, continue, or similar expressions or the negative of such expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events and circumstances are considered forward-looking statements. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements due to various factors including, but not limited to, macroeconomic uncertainty, including trade wars and recessions; our ability to successfully integrate businesses that we acquire; capital spending and network deployment levels in the communications industry (including our ability to quickly adapt cost structures to anticipated levels of business and our ability to manage inventory levels with market demand); future economic, competitive, financial and market conditions; consolidation in the global communications test, monitoring and analytics solutions markets and increased competition among vendors; capacity to adapt our future product offering to future technological changes; limited visibility with regard to the timing and nature of customer orders; delay in revenue recognition due to longer sales cycles for complex systems involving customers’ acceptance; fluctuating exchange rates; concentration of sales; timely release and market acceptance of our new products and other upcoming products; our ability to successfully expand international operations and to conduct business internationally; and the retention of key technical and management personnel. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments and risks, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Other risk factors that may affect our future performance and operations are detailed in our Annual Report, on Form 20-F, and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities commissions. We believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information currently available to us, but we cannot assure you that the expectations will prove to have been correct. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this document. Unless required by law or applicable regulations, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any of them to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this document.

For more information:

Media relations: CCgroup
Wilf Collins
+44 7719 989 444
Chloe Pope
+44 7741 242 227
exfo@ccgrouppr.com

Vance Oliver
Director, Investor Relations
(418) 683-0913, ext. 23733
vance.oliver@exfo.com