News

Alma Communications Company Selects
APA Cables & Networks Fiber Management Platform

Complete fiber overbuild is among the first to incorporate 2.4 gigabit GPON technology

Minneapolis , July 25, 2006 --- APA Cables & Networks (APACN), a leader in fiber management solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of APA Enterprises (NASDAQ: APAT), today announced that Alma Communications Company has selected APACN for its entire FTTH fiber connectivity needs. Alma Communications serves a single rural exchange and is doing a complete Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) overbuild bringing access to high-speed broadband and telephone service via FTTP to all business and residential customers of Alma Communications Company.

APACN is supplying the entire fiber connectivity solution, including the APACN Fiber Distribution System for central office fiber distributions panels, the APACN Fiber Scalability Center for outside plant (OSP) cabinets, as well as the company's complete line of ruggedized patchcords, pigtails and splitters. APACN was installed alongside TelStrat's 2.4 Gigabit Passive Optical Network Solution, a broadband loop carrier platform for edge-to-edge rebuilds of access networks.

Alma Communications worked closely with Finley Engineering Company to choose the fiber connectivity provider that best met the performance needs, feature-set and price requirements of the network. “APACN met the specification, RUS contract criteria, and yielded the successful quote which resulted in the selection of APACN as the chosen supplier,” said Larry Fausett, vice president of engineering for Finley Engineering. “APACN's listing in the USDA/RUS list of materials was also a requirement for this project.”

“The complete rebuild of our system, upgrading it from an aging copper plant to a state-of-the-art fiber network, required us to look for a fiber connectivity system that not only met our performance requirements, but could be adapted to our unique OSP infrastructure,” said Andy Heins, General Manager of Alma Communications. “At the end of the day, APACN was able to meet our contractual requirements while providing equipment which met the needs of deploying FTTH in a rural exchange.”

Key to the successful installation was the custom configuration done at the APACN factory. Multiple cable sheaths were accommodated in each cabinet providing support for varying fiber counts. Each port was labeled prior to delivery, aiding in ease of deployment in the field. In addition, as a standard free service offering to all FTTH clients, APACN was present at the initial install of the product. “The craft-friendly design of the APACN product-line made deployment straight-forward,” concluded Heins.

About Alma Communications Company

Founded in 1912 in Alma , Mo. , Alma Communications Company provides voice and data services.

About Finley Engineering Company, Inc.

Finley Engineering Company, Inc. provides leadership in professional services for the telecommunications and power industry.

About TelStrat

TelStrat provides communications solutions for wireline access networks and enterprise telecommunications environments.

About APA Cables & Networks, Inc.
APA Cables & Networks designs and manufactures a complete line of passive fiber optic connectivity solutions centered upon its Fiber Distribution System (FDS). The FDS product-line supports a wide range of frame and panel configurations, densities, connectors and adapter options and is offered alongside an assortment of passive optical components. In addition, APACN provides a complete line of fiber and copper assemblies for controlled and outside plant environments. APACN is a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Enterprises, Inc. www.apacn.com

Forward-looking statements contained herein are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and judgments about future developments in the Company's business. Certain important factors could have a material impact on the Company's performance, including, without limitation, delays in or increased costs of production, delays in or lower than anticipated sales of the Company's new products, the Company's ability to sell such products at a profitable price, the Company's ability to fund operations, and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect actual events.

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