EXHIBIT 99.1

		OPTICAL CABLE CORPORATION
		5290 Concourse Drive
		Roanoke, VA 24019
		(Nasdaq GM: OCC)
		www.occfiber.com
AT THE COMPANY:
Neil Wilkin		Tracy Smith
Chairman, President & CEO		Senior Vice President & CFO
(540) 265-0690		(540) 265-0690
investorrelations@occfiber.com		investorrelations@occfiber.com
AT JOELE FRANK, WILKINSON BRIMMER KATCHER:
Andrew Siegel		Aaron Palash
(212) 355-4449 ext. 127		(212) 355-4449 ext. 103
occ-jfwbk@joelefrank.com		occ-jfwbk@joelefrank.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OPTICAL CABLE CORPORATION

DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

ROANOKE, VA, July 17, 2012— Optical Cable Corporation (Nasdaq GM: OCC) (“OCC^®” or the “Company”) today announced the declaration of a regular quarterly cash dividend to OCC’s shareholders.

OCC’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.015 per share on the Company’s common stock effective July 16, 2012. The dividend will be paid on or about August 15, 2012 to shareholders of record on July 27, 2012.

The dividend announced today implies an annual cash dividend of $0.06 per common share.

Company Information

Optical Cable Corporation (“OCC^®”) is a leading manufacturer of a broad range of fiber optic and copper data communications cabling and connectivity solutions primarily for the enterprise market, offering an integrated suite of high quality, warranted products which operate as a system solution or seamlessly integrate with other providers’ offerings. OCC’s product offerings include designs for uses ranging from commercial, enterprise network, datacenter, residential and campus installations to customized products for specialty applications and harsh environments, including military, industrial, mining and broadcast applications. OCC products include fiber optic and copper cabling, fiber optic and copper connectors, specialty fiber optic and copper connectors, fiber optic and copper patch cords, pre-terminated fiber optic and copper cable assemblies, racks, cabinets, datacom enclosures, patch panels, face plates, multi-media boxes and other cable and connectivity management accessories, and are designed to meet the most demanding needs of end-users, delivering a high degree of reliability and outstanding performance characteristics.

Optical Cable Corp. – Quarterly Dividend

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OCC^® is internationally recognized for pioneering the design and production of fiber optic cables for the most demanding military field applications, as well as of fiber optic cables suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and creating a broad product offering built on the evolution of these fundamental technologies. OCC also is internationally recognized for its role in establishing copper connectivity data communications standards, through its innovative and patented technologies.

Founded in 1983, OCC is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia with offices, manufacturing and warehouse facilities located in each of Roanoke, Virginia, near Asheville, North Carolina and near Dallas, Texas. OCC primarily manufactures its fiber optic cables at its Roanoke facility which is ISO 9001:2008 registered and MIL-STD-790F certified, its enterprise connectivity products at its Asheville facility which is ISO 9001:2008 registered, and its military and harsh environment connectivity products and systems at its Dallas facility which is ISO 9001:2008 registered and MIL-STD-790F certified.

Optical Cable Corporation, OCC, Superior Modular Products, SMP Data Communications, Applied Optical Systems, and associated logos are trademarks of Optical Cable Corporation.

Further information about OCC^® is available on the Internet at www.occfiber.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release by Optical Cable Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “OCC”) may contain certain forward-looking information within the meaning of the federal securities laws. The forward-looking information may include, among other information, (i) statements concerning our outlook for the future, (ii) statements of belief, anticipation or expectation, (iii) future plans, strategies or anticipated events, and (iv) similar information and statements concerning matters that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown variables, uncertainties, contingencies and risks that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from our expectations, and such known and unknown variables, uncertainties, contingencies and risks may also adversely affect Optical Cable Corporation and its subsidiaries, the Company’s future results of operations and future financial condition, and/or the future equity value of the Company. A partial list of such variables, uncertainties, contingencies and risks that could cause or contribute to such differences from our expectations or could otherwise adversely affect Optical Cable Corporation and its subsidiaries is set forth in Optical Cable Corporation’s quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the heading “Forward-Looking Information.” OCC’s quarterly and annual reports are available to the public on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. In providing forward-looking information, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update this information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by applicable laws and regulations.

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