Traverse City Light & Power taps Fujitsu for gigabit FTTP deployment

Jan. 16, 2020
TCL&P plans to expand from its current dark fiber service offerings to gigabit broadband supply in its home community of Traverse City, MI.

Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. says it has signed a design, construction, operations, and maintenance agreement with Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P) for a fiber to the premises (FTTP) deployment project. TCL&P plans to expand from its current dark fiber service offerings to gigabit broadband supply in its home community of Traverse City, MI.

TCL&P leveraged a recent substation modernization effort as a springboard to dark fiber provision. It now wants to offer gigabit broadband to area businesses, public facilities, and residents. The utility has selected Fujitsu to perform engineering design, integration, network construction, service installation, interoperability, and testing for the deployment effort. Once the deployment is completed, Fujitsu also will maintain the network via its network operations center in Richardson, TX. The company says it plans to hire and establish a local operations team to manage the business operations and provide customer care services as well.

TCL&P expects to launch fiber broadband services to approximately 2000 of its customers this spring. “It’s in our DNA to provide our community with valued services that make a difference in the lives of those who work and live here,” commented Tim Arends, executive director of TCL&P. “That’s why we partnered with Fujitsu to develop a sound FTTP business plan detailing the financial, build, and operational components for our utility to fill broadband connectivity gaps in our area.”

“Fujitsu will deliver a turnkey, premiere broadband network that connects the Traverse City community and solidly positions it for new business investment, jobs and technology innovation,” added John Cafaro, senior client executive - vertical solutions, at Fujitsu Network Communications. “We’re doing what comes naturally for both TCL&P and Fujitsu, working together for the greater good of the community.”

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

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