Broadband

MLGC taps Calix for 5-Gbps FTTH broadband services

April 21, 2021

MLGC is overlaying its GPON FTTH network with XGS-PON to enable the multi-gigabit offering.

Calix, Inc. says that it is supplying the fiber to the home (FTTH) equipment and complementary services that MLGC is using to offer 5-Gbps FTTH broadband to its customers in North Dakota. MLGC is overlaying its GPON FTTH network with XGS-PON to enable the multi-gigabit offering.

MLGC offers high-speed broadband, television, and phone services to more than 2,500 homes in east-central North Dakota. The company revealed its 5-Gbps broadband aspirations last December, with Kindred, Davenport, Amber Plains/Round Hill, Enderlin (site of its headquarters), Finley, and Cooperstown the initial markets.

Calix says the move from GPON to XGS-PON comes through the use of the vendor’s Intelligent Access EDGE portfolio, including E7-2 Intelligent Modular System optical line terminals (OLTs) powered via Calix’s Always-On AXOS software platform.

At the customer premises, MLGC has deployed GigaPoint GP1100X optical network units (ONUs) and plans to roll out GigaSpire BLAST u6x ONUs in the second half of this year to enable delivery of symmetrical 10-Gbps services. To support the deployments, MLGC also is leveraging Calix’s Revenue EDGE, Services Management Connector (SMx) for automated equipment and services turnup and provisioning, and Calix Support Cloud.

“At MLGC, we have always taken immense pride in our technological leadership and commitment to pushing our market forward—we love being first,” said Tyler Kilde, president and general manager at MLGC. “We had already seen our subscribers’ bandwidth usage profiles increasing, but with COVID accelerating that trend over the last year, we migrated all of our Gigabit subscribers to 2.5-Gigabit speeds. Even with home networks needing to balance remote working and distance learning while still handling entertainment like gaming and streaming, our network enabled us to make the upgrades without hesitation."

“With demand continuing to increase, we are looking to 5-Gigabit service and beyond—well past competing offerings,” Kilde continued. “Furthermore, a recent influx of funding from RDOF [Rural Digital Opportunity Fund] is enabling us to deploy our 5-Gigabit service into additional rural communities in eastern North Dakota, and we are committed to leveraging this bandwidth advantage to deliver an unbeatable experience to our growing subscriber base. Calix is the only partner that enables us to continue our next-generation network buildout while, simultaneously, equipping us to deliver the comprehensive subscriber experience that will enable us to capitalize on our investment.”

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, DOCSIS technology, and more.