APRIL 27, 2009 -- The US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Telecommunications Program has accepted CommScope's (search Lightwave for CommScope) BrightPath FTTH system, enabling service providers seeking funding from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to propose the use of BrightPath products in business plans and applications they submit for RUS grants and loans.

The BrightPath FTTH system works seamlessly with existing hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks, employing a tapped architecture that provides fiber connection from the headend/central office to the subscriber's premises. CommScope says the system provides all the benefits of an FTTH network without requiring changes to back-office, headend/central office or customer premises equipment.

The system is reportedly effective in low-density housing and rural areas because of the low signal loss of optical fiber and the reduction or elimination of active devices in the network. In rural deployments, the company says the system can provide a competitive advantage with typically lower upfront costs and maintenance relative to traditional HFC networks.

"Acceptance of BrightPath by the Rural Development Telecommunications Program greatly benefits our customers," says Carl Meyerhoefer, vice president of marketing and business development for CommScope's Broadband division. "Rural service providers now have an economical choice for an FTTH platform with which they can connect customers to high speed services, while at the same time supporting the broadband stimulus program."

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