APRIL 15, 2009 -- Clarks Telecommunications has selected the FieldSmart Platform of Fiber Management from Clearfield Inc. for its FTTH deployment. The subsidiary of Northeast Nebraska Telephone Co. serves three exchanges in central Nebraska.
According to Clarks Telecom Assistant General Manager Terry Eriksen, Clearfield's FieldSmart Fiber Distribution System (FDS) was installed in three central offices in Clarks, Staplehurst, and Ulysses. Clearfield's FieldSmart FDS components, including patch only panels, frames, interbay management, and cross-over troughs, were used, along with active gear troughs and fiber jumpers.
Eriksen said the sophisticated simplicity and modularity of Clearfield's product architecture were particularly compelling, according to the vendor. He explained that the easy-to-navigate architecture provides greater continuity in the field. "You don't always have the same technicians visiting these sites," he explained. "If we have some continuity at each of these sites, it makes it easier for our people to troubleshoot and route fiber jumpers."
Area residents who will benefit from the FTTH overbuild are excited for the May 2009 "turn-up," Eriksen said. "Obviously it will improve their voice service, but it will also give us the ability to offer higher speeds of internet connectivity to them. And we'll be able to provide IPTV for the first time," he explained.
Efficiencies of scale will come with the deployment as well. Said Eriksen, "We can now offer 'triple play' packages on that network. Previously, with no fiber in the loop, we weren't able to go very deep with an internet connection of any speed. Rural customers are just as savvy to the capabilities of broadband service and higher speed internet connections, and now we can give them what they want."
For this FTTH initiative, Clarks Telecom is also working with engineering firm RVW Inc. and electronics supplier Occam Networks.
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