Occam Networks' Gigabit FTTH Equipment Drives New Hope Network Upgrade
Santa Barbara, CA - Occam Networks Inc. announced recently that New Hope Telephone Cooperative has selected Occam for the upgrading of its entire service network to point-to-point (P2P) Gigabit Ethernet fiber to the home (FTTH) network for all voice, data and video services. This next generation technology upgrade is made possible through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service program, commonly referred to as RUS.
Headquartered outside Huntsville, Alabama, New Hope Telephone Cooperative serves 6,000 homes and businesses in the townships of New Hope, Grant and Owens Cross Roads. To implement the system-wide replacement program, New Hope Telephone has purchased multiple components of Occam's Broadband Loop Carrier (BLC) system, including the BLC 6312 active FTTH Blade, the 6450 10-Gigabit Transport Blade and 2342 FTTH ONTs.
"We want to build an all IP-based network that offers top-of-the-line services with the maximum performance and protections for our customers," said Tom Wing, general manager of New Hope Telephone. "While most vendors are talking IP and Ethernet, Occam has been delivering it for over 5 years."
According to Russ Friedrich of Friedrich Associates, the engineering firm that managed the request for proposal process and the analysis for the RUS-funded project, Occam's products and support structure were a winning combination. "I reviewed a number of service platform options before selecting the system that would provide the optimal mix of services, security and support," said Friedrich. "Occam's active Ethernet system stood head and shoulders above all the available options I assessed for this project. It was a complex process, but a simple choice."
"It's a fast moving market for telcos and the kinds of services we must offer these days," said Wing. "We didn't merely choose Occam for what their products and services can do for our customers today. We chose them for the power and flexibility they offer for tomorrow's services."
"With their purchase of both the BLC 6312 and the BLC 6450, New Hope will be able to realize their vision of delivering a full range of advanced IP-based services to their subscribers," said Nathan Harrell, vice president of worldwide sales for Occam. "From true high speed internet to IPTV on-demand, we're proud to partner with New Hope to upgrade and enhance their customers' overall experience." Work on the network upgrade has begun, and will continue through mid-2009.
SOURCE: Occam Networks Inc.