1.   A strong element in the new year will be fiber optic network equipment and relay stations for cellular phone systems, the company said.

2.   But it also appears that carriers are spending less than expected on fiber optic equipment to prepare networks for huge amounts of Internet traffic.

3.   Chief of JDS Uniphase Steps Down JDS Uniphase, the component manufacturer for fiber optic equipment, said that Kevin Kalkhoven had retired as co-chairman and chief executive.

4.   JDS Uniphase, the largest component manufacturer for fiber optic equipment, said Thursday that Kevin Kalkhoven had retired as co-chairman and chief executive.

5.   Robust sales of fiber optic equipment fueled much of the growth of revenue and earnings at Nortel, which is based in Brampton, Ontario.

6.   Simpson cited ONI Systems, a maker of fiber optic equipment that went public last May, as one company that Nortel needs to watch out for.

7.   That generated weakness at large equipment companies like Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks and the smaller producers of fiber optic equipment.

8.   The glass materials and component manufacturer cited decreased demand from telecommunications equipment manufacturers for its fiber optic equipment.

9.   Nortel will provide fiber optic transmission equipment and Netas the local installation and maintenance support, he said.

10.   U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray lowered its investment rating on the Costa Mesa, Calif., maker of telecommunications fiber channel equipment on lowered first-quarter earnings estimates.