STL announced the appointment of AT&T veteran Christopher Rice as the chief executive officer for its Access Solutions Business.

STL, which has strong presence in the optical communications and system integration business, is now expanding its capabilities across digital networks by building core solutions in the edge access area, both on the wireline and 5G wireless side.

The company has launched Access Solutions Business Unit focusing on Open RAN, 5G, programmable FTTx, and controller/orchestration software.

Prior to STL, he was associated with AT&T where he delivered on a multi-year technology strategy and vision for both the network and the underlying system’s evolution. He also led AT&T’s pivot to software-defined networking (SDN), leading the team that built the fundamental automation and platform capabilities to drive this shift.