NWTA picks ADTRAN to support FTTH program

ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN) says the Northwest Telecommunications Association (NWTA) is using its Total Access 5000 platform to advance fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) initiatives in nearly 400 communities throughout Oregon and Washington.

With more than half the NWTA members now standardized on ADTRAN’s fiber-optic broadband platform, service providers in the region are able to deliver ultra-flexible, high-capacity FTTH services that enrich their local communities and drive new opportunities in research, healthcare, education and economic development, ADTRAN says.

Stretching nearly 10,000 route miles, the fiber-optic network from the 16 NWTA members serves mostly rural markets; nearly half of the member companies have 100% of their customers located in rural areas. The NWTA membership provides service to more than 1,300 schools, government facilities, libraries, public safety centers, hospitals, clinics, and churches in Oregon, in addition to over 30 in Washington.

The membership represents approximately $153 million in projected revenue in 2014, while investing more than $38 million in infrastructure and other capital projects in 2013. This level of reinvestment into the communities the NWTA serves is most compelling when coupled with the fact that the membership is exclusive to competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) who do business without the subsidies the incumbents receive serving these rural markets, ADTRAN asserts.

"Over the last few years the NWTA has committed to substantially building out the collective network infrastructure of our members so that their local communities can evolve, change and grow to better keep pace with today’s digital economy," said Greg Palser, president of NWTA. "By working with ADTRAN, our members advance their FTTH initiatives and more easily support the needs of their residential and business customers. We now not only serve the communities within our region, but we are also able to play a key role in projects with national importance."

The broadband infrastructure the ADTRAN platforms enable allows NWTA members to participate in unique projects that support both the local community and the country at large. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) detects and forecasts the physical, chemical, geological and biological variables in the ocean and seafloor. The OOI is currently working with two NWTA members to deploy a 10G underwater fiber network to measure volcanic activity along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Once the project is complete, real-time data will be transmitted to a community of oceanographers, scientists, researchers and educators around the country.

NWTA member service providers also deliver a variety of services, including gigabit broadband, VoIP, and IPTV, to more conventional customers. NWTA members also help Tier 1 wireless carriers to provide better wireless service across the region.

"Whether it’s in a small town or a big city there are great things happening all across the country and it’s exciting to be a part of the continued economic development. Today’s next-generation of broadband infrastructure makes it possible for the next hot online business, scientific discovery, or educational development to come from any town, city or state," said Mitch Fleming, regional vice president, sales, ADTRAN carrier networks division.

For more information on FTTx/access systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.