Oslo, Norway - October 23, 2024 - Smartoptics, a leading provider of optical
networking solutions, today announced that it has entered into a long-term
partnership with WIN Technology for the modernization and upgrade of the
company's network, serving organizations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Illinois and Michigan.

"Recent product launches and targeted market efforts have further strengthened
Smartoptics' offering towards large- and mid-size operators. The partnership
with WIN Technology is another validation of our attractiveness in this segment.
WIN exemplifies the immense potential in deploying enhanced regional networks
across rural areas of the USA, a sector we believe has substantial growth
prospects," said Smartoptics CEO Magnus Grenfeldt.

Over the coming years, WIN Technology plans to strategically expand and
modernize its network by deploying Smartoptics' 100G/400G solutions, alongside
ROADM based open line system technology. To streamline the planning, deployment,
and management of the network infrastructure, WIN Technology will leverage
Smartoptics' SoSmart network management software suite.

"With data traffic projected to keep increasing, operators like WIN must make
infrastructure investments that lower our cost per gigabyte from both a CAPEX
and OPEX perspective. Smartoptics is an ideal partner for a medium-sized company
such as ours, thanks to its future-proof, open technology and a customer
-centric, lean, and flexible culture," said Scott Hoffmann, CEO of WIN
Technology.

WIN Technology is owned by 31 independent telcos in Wisconsin and has expanded
across the Midwest, owning and operating over 32,000 km of fiber while providing
IT Services to organizations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and
Michigan. WIN is a founding member of INDATEL, a nation-wide consortium, present
in more than 1100 Nationwide point-of-presence and operating more than 640,000
km of fiber networks.

"The true open line system technology of Smartoptics, including the 34-degree
ROADM's and associated DCP-404 and DCP-1203 traffic cards, gives us the ability
to grow and gradually replace our existing networks which are nearing 20 years
of service, with next generation technology. Smartoptics also offers solutions
that supports the explosive growth we've seen primarily driven by Internet
services, enterprise broadband, and mobile backhaul upgrades for the hundreds of
cellular towers we service. This is allowing us to deliver faster and more
reliable future-proofed services to our customers," said Matthew Yach, COO of
WIN Technology.

For more information please contact:
Magnus Grenfeldt
CEO
Smartoptics
+46 73-366 88 77
E-mail: magnus.grenfeldt@smartoptics.com

About Smartoptics
Smartoptics provides innovative optical networking solutions and devices for the
new era of open networking. Our customer base includes thousands of enterprises,
governments, cloud providers, Internet exchanges as well as cable and telecom
operators. We have an open networking approach in everything we do which allows
our customers to break unwanted vendor lock-in, remain flexible and minimize
costs. Our solutions are used in metro and regional network applications that
increasingly rely on data center services and specifications. Smartoptics is a
Scandinavian company founded in 2006. We partner with leading technology and
network solution providers such as Brocade, Cisco and Dell and have a global
reach through more than 100 business partners.
For additional information about Smartoptics, please visit
https://www.smartoptics.com/

About WIN Technology
WIN Technology is a leading digital infrastructure provider operating in the
upper Midwest. Over its 20,000-mile fiber network and strategically diverse data
centers, WIN Technology provides critical IT Services and connectivity solutions
to customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan.
WIN Technology is proudly recognized as a certified Great Place To Work©.