Red River Telephone selects Calix GPON technology for regional Broadband Stimulus project

March 28, 2011
Red River Telephone (Red River), recipient of a Broadband Stimulus award, has selected the Calix C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP) and 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) from Calix Inc. to bring advanced broadband services to rural communities across its service area in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Red River Telephone (Red River), recipient of a Broadband Stimulus award, has selected the Calix C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP) and 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) from Calix Inc. to bring advanced broadband services to rural communities across its service area in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The Fiber Forward initiative will employ gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology to provide ultra-high-speed Internet services and voice services to subscribers in six counties.

The initiative will bring advanced broadband services in North America to 1,272 residences, businesses, and anchor institutions, says a representative. The $10 million Stimulus award consists of a $4.5 million grant, a $4.5 million loan, and $1 million in private investment, which includes plant engineering, materials, labor, and other costs, including access equipment.

“A project of this scope would take us 10 years or more to complete using just our own general funds, and we knew that the deserving citizens of our region couldn’t wait that long,” explains Jeff Olson, general manager of Red River. “With this initiative, we will be making a strategic investment in the future of our member communities, stimulating economic development and allowing the residents and businesses of our region to keep pace with the demands of a global economy.”

“We have chosen to partner with Calix for this important initiative, a company with a history of success in facilitating advanced fiber access deployments with hundreds of service providers across the country. We are excited to be moving forward, and in so doing bringing the deserving rural subscribers of our region the expanded opportunities that a world-class fiber network infrastructure can deliver,” adds Matt Ihland, network operations manager at Red River.

The Red River Broadband Stimulus initiative will place approximately 690 route miles of fiber-optic cable in the proposed communities, covering an area of 918 square miles, reveals a representative. Red River will be leveraging GPON and gigabit Ethernet (GE) technologies delivered via the Calix C7 MSAP and 700GE family of ONTs.

“By bringing advanced broadband connectivity to this rural region that encompasses three-states, Red River is bringing more than just a world-class communications network to these communities–they are bringing hope and opportunity,” says John Colvin, vice president of field operations at Calix. “Without Red River’s tireless efforts in securing this award, it would have been, by their own estimates, over a decade before they could have afforded to bring this level of connectivity to the region. Instead, their subscribers will soon enjoy one of the nation’s most advanced networks.”

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