JUNE 9, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has accepted Hitachi Communication Technologies America Inc.'s Salira DePON product family for use on projects funded by the Rural Telecom Infrastructure and by the Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Programs.
The Hitachi Salira product line is listed in category “ae” (“Access Equipment”) on the RUS List of Materials. RUS listing also means that the Hitachi Salira EPON/DePON products can be deployed under the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). Within the ARRA, RUS is managing the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), with a total of $2.5 billion to be awarded to build broadband infrastructure in un-served and under-served rural areas.
USDA RUS listing allows broadband service providers serving communities of up to 20,000 population to install Hitachi’s Salira DePON solution using funding obtained under the RUS programs. As defined by the USDA, the RUS Rural Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Programs are designed to ensure that rural consumers enjoy the same quality and range of telecommunications services as are available in urban and suburban communities. DePON enables cable operators to deliver triple play services over fiber using existing DOCSIS management system.
"The Hitachi Salira DePON product family enables high-bandwidth broadband delivery in rural areas. When used alone or with our RUS approved Node+Zero RFoG products, the Salira DePON platform enables cable operators to gain new revenue streams while preserving their existing CPE and DOCSIS management systems,” says Mannix O’Connor, director, technical marketing, Hitachi Communication Technologies America Inc. “The combination gives network operators flexibility to offer significantly more bandwidth while controlling costs.”