August 23, 2005 Santa Barbara, CA -- Occam Networks today announced that Granby Telephone Co. has selected the Occam BLC 6000 System to transition the telco's existing access network to an Ethernet- and IP-based broadband access network for delivering voice, video, and high-speed data services to subscribers in southwestern Missouri.
Faced with increasing competition from area cable companies, the telco says it opted to upgrade its access network in order to offer its subscribers a full array of services in a single bundle with a single monthly bill. The telco says it wanted to convert its access network to an Ethernet- and IP-based network because they see Ethernet as the transport system of the future.
"We believed that we would be able to deliver the new services much more cost-effectively if we used Ethernet and IP," comments Kevin Johnson, plant manager for Granby Telephone. "As we reviewed our options, we confirmed our belief. Not only are the technologies less expensive to deploy, but they are less expensive to operate and maintain. A simpler network requires fewer people to manage, a fact that is very important to smaller organizations like Granby."
In order to deliver video services cost-effectively, Granby partnered with four other area telcos to share a video feed from Oklahoma-based MBO Video, a company whose SONET network spans the states of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. The five companies built an internal ring that delivers video streams to each telco. Granby says it chose the Ethernet-based BLC 6000 platform over products from a variety of vendors because the platform met its Ethernet and IP requirements, and because it enables delivery of video, as well as POTS and high-speed data, from a single platform.
Granby selected the Occam BLC 6000 in mid-June 2005 and is currently in the process of a "soft launch" during a trial period which extends through August. The telco anticipates a full launch by fall of 2005 and a full deployment before year-end.
"The number of telcos who are moving to an Ethernet and IP access network continues to grow at a rapid pace," concludes Russ Sharer, vice president of sales and marketing for Occam. "Once a potential customer discovers the many benefits of the technologies, they quickly become converts. We find it very gratifying to have companies like Granby affirm our technological and product vision by selecting the BLC 6000 System."