VTel taps Calix for WOW fiber-optic network

Oct. 24, 2011
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) says that Vermont Telephone Co. (VTel) will spend some of its broadband stimulus money on Calix 700GE optical network terminals (ONTs). VTel will use the ONTs as part of a broadband service rollout to more than 15,000 customers in southern Vermont using the carrier’s Wireless Open World (WOW) network.

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) says that Vermont Telephone Co. (VTel) will spend some of its broadband stimulus money on Calix 700GE optical network terminals (ONTs). VTel will use the ONTs as part of a broadband service rollout to more than 15,000 customers in southern Vermont using the carrier’s Wireless Open World (WOW) network.

Family-owned VTel operates a four-state fiber-optic network that connects Vermont with New York City, Boston, and Montreal, with speeds of 1- to 100-Gbps. VTel is also one of the largest owners of FCC wireless licenses in Vermont, New Hampshire, and upstate New York, and is working with Vermont's largest public utilities to use 700 MHz to enable a smart grid throughout Vermont.

The carrier received broadband stimulus awards of $129 million in grants and loans in 2010. VTel’s WOW initiative aims to bring fiber to every home and business in its service area as well as roll out 4G/LTE wireless broadband services throughout Vermont. The FTTH portion will use point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet technologies to deliver voice over IP (VoIP) and residential and business data services via 1-Gbps connections. Construction on the three-year WOW project began in late September and is set to be completed in 2013.

"As new advanced applications are introduced into the market, it is clear that bandwidth needs are rapidly increasing," said John Colvin, senior vice president of North American field sales and marketing at Calix. "VTel is a great example of a communications service provider who is not only addressing the bandwidth challenges of today, but looking into the future to ensure customer needs are met for years to come."

"Calix is a leading company enabling broadband access, and we are excited to have them helping us deliver broadband, voice, and television services to rural Vermonters with technology that is far superior to that available in most urban environments," said Justin Robinson, president of VTel.

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