Packerland Broadband has deployed gigabit Internet service based on DOCSIS 3.1 in Crystal Falls, MI, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Packerland worked with systems integrator CCI Systems to design and deploy the gigabit service, dubbed UltraConnect. The service uses Cisco's (NASDAQ:CSCO) cBR-8 CCAP and Technicolor's TC4400 modems. The companies say the DOCSIS 3.1 service in Crystal Falls, population 1,432, is the first in the region.
"DOCSIS 3.1 wasn't necessary; they could have gone with DOCSIS 3.0 and been just as well off. We chose 3.1 to prepare for the future needs of Packerland's subscribers," said CCI Director of Access and Media Solutions Todd Gingrass, who led the solution design at CCI. "Using DOCSIS 3.1 technology, and building it on Cisco's cBR-8 platform, helped save money and set them up for future Remote PHY Distributed Access expansions. The most valuable part of an operator's network today is the RF spectrum, so being efficient with its use is paramount for not only today but a successful future. DOCSIS 3.1 is a technology that allows more speed to be delivered in the same amount of spectrum. It can be easily delivered without a costly upgrade to the network, again saving capital that can be spent elsewhere and faster time to revenue for the operator."
Packerland Vice President Cory Heigl said: "We wanted to future-proof the Crystal Falls community, to be ready for a world where advancements in bandwidth hungry applications in the realms of 4K video, virtual reality, telemedicine, online education, and the Internet of Things are possible. This community is ready."
Iron Mountain, MI-based Packerland provides data, voice and video services to more than 6,700 subscribers in 55 rural communities throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Since beginning operations in 2007, the company has been buying and upgrading coaxial systems and building more than 1,200 miles of fiber-optic transport.