Armstrong will upgrade its fiber to the premises (FTTP) infrastructure from GPON to XGS-PON via ADTRAN’s (NASDAQ:ADTN) Combo PON technology, the broadband technology supplier says. The 10G PON capabilities will be deployed through the ADTRAN Total Access 5000 (TA5000) 10G fiber access platform.
The cable MSO, the 11th largest in the U.S., operates over a six-state area. The XGS-PON technology will be switched on first in Wexford, PA, with ADTRAN indicating that further deployments will occur in the rest of Armstrong’s markets, which include communities in Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia in addition to Pennsylvania. The Combo PON technology is designed to enable operators such as Armstrong to support GPON and XGS-PON CPE simultaneously, enabling a smooth transmission from the lower-speed GPON to the 10-Gbps XGS-PON capabilities. The higher transmission rates will enable the cable MSO to offer enhanced versions of its current video, ZOOM internet with Wi-Fi, and telephone services to residential and commercial customers.
“Over the past 15 years Armstrong has evolved toward a fiber-to-the-premise architecture to support many wavelengths of light on the same glass,” commented Mike Giobbi, CTO at Armstrong. “In collaboration with ADTRAN, Armstrong has deployed PON technology with GPON to deliver speeds over 2 Gbps downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream. We are now overlaying XGS-PON technology with the capacity of symmetrical 10 Gbps downstream and upstream on the same fiber strand into homes and businesses with GPON. Armstrong has reached the 10G platform the cable industry has committed to deploying.”
“Combo PON is the best way to introduce XGS-PON, which made ADTRAN the right partner for Armstrong’s 10G network enhancement,” added Craig Stein, vice president of sales for ADTRAN. “We’re thrilled to see Armstrong benefit from this technology. It will increase the return on their fiber investment by rapidly on-boarding our modern 10G FTTH technology that will provide much higher bandwidth, including symmetrical multigigabit speeds. This will allow Armstrong to connect residents and businesses to valuable new service options and beat its competition to the 10G future, while delivering amazing broadband experiences for all of Armstrong’s customers.”
