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Zhone's MALC Multi-Service Access Platform Selected by Ritter Communications for Voice and Data Network Upgrade

Ritter Cites Zhone's Customer Service, Advanced Platform Technology and Support for Future Services in Decision Criteria

Oakland, CA — September 30, 2008 — Zhone Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZHNE), a global leader in multi-service access solutions, today announced that Ritter Communications has selected Zhone's high-density multi-service access platform (MSAP) to support the company's network upgrade throughout their northern Arkansas coverage area. Ritter cited Zhone's responsive and personalized customer service, robust platform, and support for future services as winning decision factors over other vendor offerings. With over a century of service, Ritter Communications provides voice, cable video and full service data networking to both business and residential customers.

Ritter selected Zhone's market leading MALC™ with combo voice and ADSL2+ line cards to replace its legacy DSLAM equipment, and to lay an extensible foundation for service expansion. "Zhone's platforms allow us to converge voice and data in a single IP network while ensuring we can leverage our HFC network for advanced services in the future," said Sean Corder, network manager for Ritter Communications. "Further, we expect to gain immediate benefits from the close back-office integration of the access network enabled by Zhone's ZMS. For the first time, our customer service representatives and technical team will have a single, direct interface to network assets in our separate northeast and northwest service areas. Given the scale and complexity of our project, we've really valued the close, expert support Zhone's team has provided as we plan our network evolution."

"It's very gratifying to see our multi-service vision put to such good work by the Ritter Communications team," said Steven Glapa, vice president of product management and marketing for Zhone. "We've built out our common, flexible architecture for support of the full range of legacy and forward-looking access technologies -- from POTS to GPON and everything between -- precisely to help service providers like Ritter meet competitive challenges and seize new revenue opportunities through multi-service access networks that enable greater service innovation while lowering costs."

About Ritter Communications

Ritter Communications is a subsidiary of E. Ritter & Co., which began providing telephone service in Northeast Arkansas in 1906. Ritter's residential and business services include local telephone service, long distance, cable television and high-speed internet, as well as customized business solutions. For more information, visit www.getritter.info.

About Zhone Technologies -- Access for a Converging World

Zhone Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZHNE) is a global leader in multi-service access network solutions, serving more than 700 of the world's most innovative network operators. The company offers the industry's broadest fully-integrated portfolio of MSAP, FTTx, EFM and Wi-Fi access technologies, enabling a full suite of services, including residential and business.

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