New Hampshire FastRoads builds BTOP middle-mile link with Calix

July 24, 2012
Access transport systems vendor Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) says that New Hampshire FastRoads, a limited liability company of the Monadnock Economic Development Corp., will use the Calix E7-2 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) in a network that will provide point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet services to underserved subscribers in 35 communities in the western part of the state.

Access transport systems vendor Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) says that New Hampshire FastRoads, a limited liability company of the Monadnock Economic Development Corp., will use the Calix E7-2 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) in a network that will provide point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet services to underserved subscribers in 35 communities in the western part of the state. NH FastRoads has partnered with Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awardee Network New Hampshire Now (NNHN) to use existing infrastructure owned by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to bring fiber-enabled services throughout the Upper Valley and Monadnock regions of the state, including fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) projects in the towns of Rindge and Enfield.

According to information on the NH FastRoads website, the core network comprises a collapsed fiber ring with two 10-Gigabit Ethernet links between colocation sites in Hanover (home of Dartmouth University) and Keene. The network will use a minimum of a Gigabit Ethernet link between core routers, with the ability to increase capacity as warranted. The new fiber middle-mile network will consist of 288-strand fiber cables. FastRoads will have IRUs for 48 strands of fiber on the network within the FastRoads territory.

"New Hampshire as a whole has been underserved by broadband for years, with large portions of our population having to rely on dial-up and wireless services," said Carole Monroe, executive director of NH FastRoads. "This new fiber network will be a powerful tool to further the economic development of the state that began with the NNHN middle-mile project, while continuing to improve the lives of our existing residents and businesses and attract new business to the area. Calix, with its broad experience with fiber access networks and deep understanding of stimulus projects, will be a true asset in the delivery of advanced services to residents and the extension of fiber across the region."

Design Nine has provided the network design and project management for the effort. Design Nine's President, Andrew Cohill, said, "We evaluated equipment from many vendors, and in the end, Calix had the most capable equipment and the most attractive technical support package. We're glad to have Calix powering FastRoads' gigabit-to-the-home network."

"With the construction of some middle-mile Broadband Stimulus projects already coming to a completion, we are beginning to see a natural extension of these anchor institution focused networks to target residences and businesses, just as NH FastRoads is undergoing in New Hampshire," said John Colvin, senior vice president of North American sales and marketing. "This kind of project is exactly what the Broadband Stimulus program was designed to be -- a catalyst for long term broadband expansion and economic development in each region awarded. We look forward to working with NH FastRoads as they improve the lives and businesses of residents of western New Hampshire with this powerful fiber access network."

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