NSG America Announces Partnership between its Parent Company NSG and Optical Zonu with Triplexer Production for FTTx/PON Applications

SOMERSET, NJ, and VAN NUYS, CA (November, 2005)...NSG America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nippon Sheet Glass (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 5202), creator of the SELFOC® Lens and the world's leading supplier of Gradient Index Lenses, announces today that its parent company has entered into a partnership with Optical Zonu, a leading designer, producer and supplier of Fiber Interface Modules. This partnership will bring together NSG's high-end, optical manufacturing capabilities with Optical Zonu's three wavelength optical block technology to enable high volume production of low cost, optical triplexers for use in Fiber-To-The-Premise applications.

The agreement with Optical Zonu allows NSG to expand its coverage into the FTTx market for active components by leveraging NSG's Original Opti-Sourcing Services with Zonu's expertise in Passive Optical Network (PON) technology. NSG created Original Opti-Sourcing as a service to offer manufacturing capabilities to its customers in the optical communications market together with the company's design and development capabilities in optics. By utilizing the company's vast global resources, customers are provided with a "One Stop Shop"for all their optical component manufacturing needs. One approach used to provide such a "One Stop Shop"is to procure specialized technology through partnerships from industry leaders such as Optical Zonu.

For global FTTx/PON markets under its Opti-Sourcing manufacturing services, NSG has been shipping WDM modules for Optical Line Terminals (OLT) and optical splitters for distribution networks in volume. With this partnership, NSG is able to offer end-to-end solutions for FTTx/PON applications. Triplexers are added in Optical Network Units (ONU) to provide an analog Cable TV (CATV) and/or a DBS (DirectTV, Dish) overlay in B-PON, GE-PON and G-PON systems.

"The access to Optical Zonu's low cost triplexer technology through this partnership is another milestone in NSG's toolbox of manufacturing capabilities for our Original Opti-Sourcing Services. By partnering with a pioneering company for access networks such as Optical Zonu, we are able to efficiently and effectively bring cutting edge technologies to our customers for FTTx/PON applications. Without having to expend financial resources in developing this technology ourselves, NSG is able to keep cost low and pass the savings along to our customers" states Dr. Simin Cai, President & CEO of NSG America.

"NSG has manufacturing capacity and knowledge of volume production while we have expertise in optical and electrical design for the access networks. By working together we will bring to the market low cost optical triplexers in high volume production. This partnership between NSG and Optical Zonu allows us to continue to focus on product development such as a complete Optical Network Terminal (ONT) version product for FTTx/PON applications," says Dr. Meir Bartur, President & CEO of Optical Zonu.