June 28, 2005 Minneapolis, MN -- Optical Solutions announced that Laurel Highland Telephone Company (LHTC) of Stahlstown, Pennsylvania, has signed an exclusive agreement to purchase the company's FiberPath 500 GPON system through 2007. According to a press release, the contract coincides with the independent carrier's plan to deploy a FTTP network that will serve nearly 5,400 homes and businesses across the remote Laurel Highlands region, 50 miles east of Pittsburgh.
LHTC says the upgrade to FTTP will enable it to enhance its current service offering to its two-county customer base, while also fulfilling Pennsylvania's progressive Chapter 30 telecommunications law. The law was passed more than a decade ago to spur broadband deployment across the state, and was recently amended to provide incentives to companies that deliver high-speed Internet service before the original 2015 goal year.
"Small independent operators like Laurel Highland can respond to the call for advanced services more quickly than large operators, and that creates a distinct opportunity for the remote communities they serve," remarks Mike Dagenais, president and CEO of Optical Solutions. "A FTTP network is a proven catalyst for economic growth and development - we've seen this play out in more than 200 communities nationwide."
The company says its FiberPath 500 system's GPON technology is compliant with ITU FSAN standards, and provides optimal bandwidth for delivering advanced voice, video, and data services, while effectively future-proofing access network infrastructures.
