Calix announced that two South Dakota Broadband Stimulus
award winners — TrioTel Communications and Midstate Communications — have
selected the Calix Unified Access portfolio to bring broadband services to
subscribers in unserved and underserved areas of South Dakota.
Both TrioTel and Midstate are moving Fiber Forward in
their networks, pulling fiber deep into rural communities and utilizing
advanced fiber access technologies to bring extremely fast broadband services,
including internet protocol television (IPTV), ultra high-speed data, and
advanced voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) services, and new opportunities to
their subscribers.
In aggregate, these awards amount to nearly $21.4 million
in overall funds, which include plant engineering, materials, labor, and other
costs, as well as access equipment.
The addition of the TrioTel and Midstate projects brings
the total number of publicly announced Calix awarded Broadband Stimulus
projects across the Dakotas to 11 projects, amounting to over $113 million in
overall funds.
TrioTel will use its $12.3 million award, which consists
of a $8.6 million grant and a $3.7 million loan, of which only a portion is for
access equipment, to offer advanced broadband services over gigabit passive
optical network (GPON) technology, including reliable session initiated
protocol (SIP) VOIP services, advanced IPTV services using Innovative Systems,
and high-speed data services capable of delivering up to 1 gigabit per second
(Gbps) to the communities of Alexandria, Canova, Emery, Farmer, Salem, and
Spencer, South Dakota, and their surrounding rural areas.
TrioTel will leverage the EXA Powered Calix C7
Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP), as well as the 700GE family of optical
network terminals (ONTs), to implement a world-class broadband infrastructure
across these rural communities.
“This Stimulus award will truly benefit our
communities, bringing a powerful broadband infrastructure that will promote
business development, technology innovation, and job growth throughout our
area,” said Bryan Roth, general manager and CEO at TrioTel.
“With a fiber network in place, our customers will
have fast, high-quality Internet and access to the latest video technology.
Calix is a key partner in the success of this initiative, bringing
broadband-enabled opportunities that were not previously available to this
region of South Dakota,” Roth added.
Midstate will use its award for nearly $9.1 million,
which consists of a $6.4 million grant and a $2.7 million loan, of which only a
portion is for access equipment, to provide advanced high-speed broadband
across a point-to-point gigabit Ethernet network capable of delivering
symmetrical speeds of up to 1 Gbps to subscribers in both the underserved and
unserved areas of Chamberlain and Oacoma, South Dakota.
Leveraging the Calix B6 Ethernet Service Access Node
(ESAN) and the 700GE family of ONTs, Midstate is using this powerful broadband
infrastructure to deliver advanced IPTV, ultra high-speed data services, and
reliable voice services delivered over media gateway control protocol (MGCP).
“When it comes to today’s advanced technology and
broadband needs, the citizens living beyond the boundaries of the Chamberlain
and Oacoma communities have historically been underserved, and in most cases,
unserved,” said Mark Benton, general manager at Midstate.
“We have been searching for viable ways to close
this gap, and these funds, in combination with Calix technology and expertise,
allow us to bring the promise of further economic development to our area
through the availability of advanced broadband,” Benton added.
“Both TrioTel and Midstate are great examples of the
opportunities Broadband Stimulus awards can bring to a community through
advanced fiber access networks,” said John Colvin, senior vice president
of North American field sales and marketing at Calix.
“Working together with both customers, Calix has
assisted in bringing two of the nation’s most advanced broadband
infrastructures to a group of rural communities in South Dakota. The over $100
million in investment being made in conjunction with the Broadband Stimulus
program by TrioTel, Midstate, and the nine other winners with whom Calix is
working across the Dakotas is truly impressive, and stands to position this
region and one of the most connected in the world,” Colvin added.
With this announcement, aggregate Calix vendor selections
by Broadband Stimulus winners for “last mile” and “middle
mile” awards have now reached 72 different projects representing
approximately $1.3 billion in Stimulus-related grants, loans, and private investment
for plant engineering, materials, labor, and other costs, including access
equipment.
Calix recently announced that Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC) has
selected the Calix Unified Access portfolio to move Fiber Forward and bring advanced
broadband services to six additional communities in southeastern Minnesota.
By Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]
