CenturyLink to build fiber networks for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) says it has won multiple contracts to build fiber networks for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fiber links will be used to upgrade infrastructure at five dams in Oregon and Washington. CenturyLink also will supply Ethernet-based services over the fiber infrastructure.
The fiber cable will replace copper-based infrastructure at the Ice Harbor, Little Goose, and Lower Granite Dams along the lower Snake River in Washington as well as the Foster and Green Peters Dams along the Columbia River in Oregon. The dams are centerpieces of multi-use critical infrastructure facilities that provide flood risk management, hydropower, navigation, environmental stewardship, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation benefits. The use of fiber will eliminate the need for specialized high voltage safety protection equipment as well as existing copper cable that CenturyLink describes as “old, buried, and in many areas, chewed up by gophers.”
“By replacing the legacy copper cables and modernizing the network with fiber, CenturyLink is helping the Army Corps of Engineers improve its safety posture and better protect critical infrastructure at five dams in Oregon and Washington,” said David Young, CenturyLink senior vice president, public sector.
CenturyLink won the contracts via the General Services Administration’s IT Schedule 70 contract. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains approximately 700 dams nationwide and in Puerto Rico.
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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.
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