29 October 2003 Livermore, CA Lightwave -- Bright Telecommunications of Perth, Australia, has chosen Alloptic Inc.'s Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) solution for a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) system in the city's Victoria Park neighborhood. The new system provides a bundle of television, Internet, and telephone services that exceed the current service offerings from incumbent service providers. In addition, the cost of the bundled services is very competitive with what is offered individually by other providers.
Bright Telecommunications, a subsidiary of Western Power, is using the Alloptic GigaForce product platform to link Victoria Park residents to a fully optical, converged network with unparalleled bandwidth. The new network infrastructure is accessible to both incumbent and new service providers and will allow Bright to develop business opportunities as a provider of content to business and residential subscribers. With broadcast, premium, and video-on-demand TV channels provided by advanced-format Internet Protocol (IP), data connections that operate at Gigabit speeds, and telephone services that interoperate with the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), subscribers enjoy a communications system with capabilities that far exceed traditional systems, say Bright representatives.
"Alloptic, working through Pirelli Australia, provided a solution that allows Bright to deliver world-class services at affordable rates," reports Kevan Penter, manager of Bright Telecommunications. "They're the only company to offer a modular product that allows us to cost-effectively provide today's converged services, with plenty of bandwidth for future offerings, when and where they are asked for by our customers. The response has been enthusiastic, and formal satisfaction surveys have confirmed strong support for the concept."
Bright is using the Alloptic homeGEAR family of optical networking units (ONUs) to configure fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks that offer multiple communication services through a single fiber-optic connection. The networks are optimized for the individual desired service offerings within the community. Bright is also evaluating Alloptic's mduGEAR ONUs for deployment in multiple-dwelling units and is developing plans to begin offering services in the Perth business district.
Alloptic's passive network technology does not require bulky and unsightly equipment pedestals within a neighborhood and preserves the natural aesthetics of an area, enhancing the value of the community and the homes, contend company representatives. In the Victoria Park deployment, Alloptic worked with Pirelli Australia to use a Pirelli-developed aerial fiber installation technique that ran the optical fibers along existing overhead power lines to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the area. By strapping a blown-fiber microduct to the neutral conductor, Western Power crews achieved an aerial broadband installation with low visibility impact. Building the network on overhead power lines also gives Bright the ability to reach a larger portion of the Perth metropolitan area than would be possible if the network were restricted to underground installations.