YOFC Signs Multi-Year Agreement With DSM For Its Next-Generation Fiber Optic DeSolite Supercoatings™

Collective Innovation from YOFC and DSM Provides Industry-Leading Standard for Fiber

Elgin,IL /PRNewswire/ -- DSM Desotech, a global leader in the development and supply of UV-curable fiber optic materials, today announced a four-year agreement with Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable Company Ltd (YOFC), a leading supplier of fiber and cable products in China, for the manufacture and supply of DSM's new generation of DeSolite Supercoatings™. The partnership is significant in advancing the performance and reliability of fiber networks in China.

"This is an important milestone for China's telecommunications market as a whole, as well as for consumers of high-speed data services in China," said YOFC Sales Director Yan Changkun. "By leveraging DeSolite Supercoatings™, YOFC will deliver the highest-performing, most reliable optical fiber and cable networks and help protect the investments of China's leading network service providers."

Optical fiber coatings are a critical component of today's high-speed fiber networks, helping to prevent signal loss, as well as give fiber longer life and more reliable field performance. As exploding bandwidth demand presses fiber producers to increase line speeds for higher productivity, only the most advanced coating materials will be able to meet increasingly aggressive fiber performance requirements and reduce the risk of costly network failures.

DSM's patented DeSolite Supercoatings™ demonstrate a significant technological advancement in microbend sensitivity which minimizes a fiber's signal loss over time and distance, as well as in mechanical properties that increase fiber robustness in all temperature extremes.

"DSM created DeSolite Supercoatings™ in direct response to the tsunami of bandwidth requirements being generated worldwide by today's high-speed internet applications," said Rob Crowell, DSM Desotech Vice President of Fiber Optic Materials Rob Crowell. "Fiber is the only solution that can meet this kind of need for speed, and it's going to have to perform at higher levels than we've ever seen before. Supercoatings are the road to that higher level of fiber performance -- as well as the road to lower risk for those investing in today's costly fiber networks."

About YOFC

Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Company Ltd. (YOFC) was established in May, 1988 and is operated by China Telecommunications Corporation, Wuhan Yangtze Communications Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Draka Comteq of the Netherlands. It is the only specialized company in China which masters preform making, fiber drawing and cabling techniques for mass production. YOFC is China's largest high-tech company dedicated to the manufacturing, research and development of optical fibre and cable products. It is the second largest fiber manufacturer, and the fifth largest cable manufacturer, in the world. Since 1992, YOFC's sale and output of fiber and cable products has ranked first in China for successive 17 years. Equipped with the state-of-the-art technology, YOFC provides customers with a complete series of fiber and cable products. The company's products have been sold in more than 50 countries around the world.

About DSM Desotech

DSM Desotech is the world's leading developer of UV-curable optical fiber coatings, a critical component of high-speed optical fiber networks. With more than 40 years experience in fiber coatings development, the company holds more than 120 U.S. patents in UV-curable technology, with other patents in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia and Canada. DSM Desotech operates globally, with research and manufacturing facilities located in the U.S., Europe, China and Japan. It is headquartered in Elgin, Ill., USA. DSM Desotech is a business unit of DSM Resins, based in the Netherlands, and is part of the global DSM family - a world leader in life sciences and material sciences. More information can be found at: www.dsm.com/en_US/html/dsmd/desotech_home.htm.

About DSM - the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company

Royal DSM N.V. creates innovative products and services in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences that contribute to the quality of life. DSM's products and services are used globally in a wide range of markets and applications, supporting a healthier, more sustainable and more enjoyable way of life. End markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM has annual net sales of EUR 9.3 billion and employs some 23,500 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at: www.dsm.com/en_US/html/home/dsm_home.cgi.

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SOURCE DSM Desotech