Ciena announced that it has been selected by the rural electric cooperative coalition Alabama Fiber Network (AFN) as the optical networking vendor for its converged IP/optical middle-mile network.
Ciena reports that AFN is leasing dark fiber and building new fiber infrastructure, and its network will span over 5,000 linear miles. Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Nano (WL5n) 400G Coherent Pluggable Transceivers and 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) are being leveraged.
AFN CEO Terry Metze said in a press release, “Through AFN’s middle-mile network, last-mile providers will have the scalable bandwidth they require to bring high-speed broadband to underserved and unserved Alabamians. With Alabama’s future in mind, we wanted to use the best coherent pluggable technology available for our needs and eliminate expensive signal regeneration across the state—and that is what we got with Ciena’s industry-leading WaveLogic 5 Nano.”
The official launch of AFN’s service will be celebrated on July 10 at a Ciena-sponsored event, where Ciena CTO Steve Alexander will discuss the Alabama Fiber Network project.
“As a critical contributor to ‘Be Linked Alabama,’ Alabama Fiber Network plays a sizeable role in providing the essential infrastructure that will open up a world of new possibilities for connectivity and digital inclusion—for economic development, healthcare, and education. This helps narrow the digital divide and connect Alabama to the future,” said Alexander in the same press release.
For related articles, visit the Optical Tech Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.
Hayden Beeson
Hayden Beeson is a writer and editor with over seven years of experience in a variety of industries. Prior to joining Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, he was the associate editor of Architectural SSL and LEDs Magazine.