<PAGE>

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.18

February 9, 2000

Andrew Page
126 Commonwealth Ave., Apt. 5
Boston, MA  02116

Dear Andrew,

On behalf of Optical Networks Incorporated, I am pleased to offer you a position
as our Vice President, Corporate Development.  You will be reporting directly to
Terry Schmid, CFO.

You will receive a salary of $300,000 annually, paid in equal increments on a
twice monthly basis.  This offer also includes a one-time hire on bonus of
$30,000.  We will also be reimbursing you for all reasonable costs associated
with your relocation to California.  Additionally we will be supplying 60 days
of temporary housing and rental car.  Please note that should you voluntarily
terminate your employment with Optical Networks within twelve months of your
date of hire, you agree by signing this employment offer to repay Optical
Networks all hire on and relocation dollars on a pro-rated basis.  Furthermore,
by signing this employment offer you authorize Optical Networks to deduct the
amount of this bonus from your final paycheck and agree to repay Optical
Networks any amount not covered by the final paycheck within 15 days of your
termination date.

We will be granting you a stock option of 150,000 shares of common stock.  This
stock option must be approved by our Board of Directors, which will vote on this
in the next board meeting after your start date.  The option will vest over a
four-year period with the first 25% vesting upon the six-month anniversary of
your start date and the remainder vesting at 1/42/th/ of the shares for each
month thereafter.

The shares will be immediately exercisable either by cash payment or with a
promissory note, which shall bear interest at the lowest legal rate (the
"Note").  The Note shall be in a form and on terms, which are acceptable to the
Company and to you.  At your option, subject to California Corporation Code,
section 500, the Note may be repaid with shares of the Company's common stock,
which have a fair market value equal to the outstanding payments which are due
at the time of payment.
<PAGE>

The grant of 150,000 shares shall be subject to a right of repurchase in favor
of the Company, at the original purchase price, which shall lapse as follows:
the Company's repurchase right will lapse with respect to twenty-five percent
(25%) of the shares six (6) months from the commencement date of your employment
with the Company and will lapse at a rate of 1/42th of the shares each month
thereafter.  You will have the right to make an election under Section 83(b) of
the Internal Revenue Code in conjunction with the purchase of the shares.

In the event of (a) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the
surviving corporation (other than a merger or consolidation with a wholly-owned
subsidiary, a re-incorporation of the Company in a different jurisdiction, or
other transaction in which there is no substantial change in the shareholders of
the Company or their relative stock holdings), (b) a merger in which the Company
is the surviving corporation but after which the shareholders of the Company
immediately prior to such merger cease to own shares or other equity interests
in the Company representing at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting
power of all securities of the Company, or (c) the sale of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Company (any and all of which are referred to as a
"Transaction"), the Company will (i) waive the Company's right of repurchase
with respect to fifty percent (50%) of the shares which were subject to the
Company's repurchase right as of the effective date of the Transaction, and (ii)
waive similar rights of repurchase or other vesting requirements with respect to
fifty percent (50%) of any other securities of the Company that may, in the
future, be granted or sold to you by the Company and that remain subject to such
similar rights of repurchase or vesting requirements as of the effective date of
the Transaction.

We will be offering you our standard benefits package that includes health,
dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability, Section 125 and 401K
plans.

We will also be offering you 15 days of vacation per year, 10 company holidays
and up to a maximum of 10 sick days per year.  The terms of our time off with
pay policies are outlined in our employee handbook.

Your employment with Optical Networks is for an indefinite term.  In other
words, the employment relationship is "at will," and you have the right to
terminate that employment relationship at any time for any reason.  Also,
although I hope that you will remain with us and be successful here, Optical
Networks must, and does, retain the right to terminate the employment
relationship at any time for any reason.  This "at will" employment relationship
can only be modified in
<PAGE>

writing by an authorized officer of Optical Networks. This paragraph contains
the entire agreement between you and Optical Networks regarding the right and
ability of either you or Optical Networks to terminate your employment with
Optical Networks.

You represent that the performance of your duties in the position described
above will not violate the terms of any agreements you may have with others,
including your former employer.  You also understand that you are not to bring
to or use at Optical Networks any trade secrets of your former employer.

Your employment is also conditioned upon your agreement and execution of Optical
Networks' attached Invention, Assignment and Confidentiality Agreement.  You
must also provide proof of our ability to legally work within the United States
on your first day of employment with Optical Networks.  This offer is also
contingent upon your passing Optical Networks' security background check.

Please sign the bottom of this letter to accept this offer and return the
original to me.  If we do not receive back confirmation of your acceptance by
February 16, 2000 this offer will terminate.

Optical Networks is committed to hiring employees like you that have the
courage, creativity, and experience to develop new ideas for new markets.

We look forward to your joining us!

Sincerely,


Lisa Blos-Johnson                                ______________________________
Vice President of Human Resources                Employee Acceptance/Start Date
Optical Networks Incorporated