TecHnoLoGy - Broadband Properties

MunicipalitiesMunis Move Forward with FiberThe Tullahoma Utilities Board inTullahoma, Tennessee, a municipalFTTH provider, will deployEnablence’s Trident7 Element ManagementSystem integrated with Great LakesData Systems’ WinCable subscribermanagement and billing system. Thecombined solution will provide controlof voice, video and data services directlyfrom the billing system, eliminating theneed for multiple disparate systems andallowing TUB to manage its Trident7FTTP network without additional mediationor provisioning layers. TUB saysdirect provisioning from the billing systemwill allow it to manage triple-playservice delivery more efficiently, minimizerevenue loss and ensure a higherlevel of customer satisfaction.The Chattanooga (Tennessee) EPBboard of directors approved an interdivisionalloan to support its fiber-tothe-homeproject. The loan will enableEPB to begin purchasing equipmentto offer high-speed Internet, video entertainmentand digital phone to everycustomer in its service area. The backboneof EPB’s Smart Grid (fiber to themeter) is expected to be completed bythe end of the summer, and EPB anticipatessigning up its first FTTH customersin early 2009. Shortly after the loanapproval, a second cable industry suitagainst the project was dismissed by thecounty court; a lawsuit by Comcast in adifferent court is still pending.The city of Palo Alto, California,which conducted a small FTTP pilotproject several years ago and then issuedan RFP for a citywide network in 2006,has received a second, more detailedproposal from the 180 Connect/Packet-Front consortium that responded to theRFP. Another company, Axia NetMedia,has joined the consortium, replacingRBC Capital Markets. The groupproposes to build and operate an openaccess FTTP system, and turn it over tothe city after 25 years. The city would berequired to make its existing dark fiberavailable, but would not otherwise haveto support the system financially. As wewent to press, the city council had notVendor Spotlightyet acted on the proposal.The city of Northfield, Minnesota,issued a Request for Proposals for anFTTP feasibility study, whose ambitiousgoal is to help the city ensure that “allbusinesses and residents enjoy access toan integrated citywide network to providehigh quality, affordable high-speedtelecommunication services that willmeet their needs long into the future.”The study, which will include a surveyof residents, will consider whether thenetwork should be public, private or apublic-private collaboration; create businesscases for a variety of scenarios; andevaluate possible technologies and applicationsfor the network.180 Connect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.180connect.netAlcatel-Lucent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.alcatel-lucent.comAxia NetMedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.axia.comCalix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.calix.comEmtelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.emtelle.comEnablence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.enablence.comFujitsu Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.fujitsu.com/auGreat Lakes Data Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.glds.comHuawei Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.huawei.comMotorola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.motorola.comNetNordic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.netnordic.noOccam Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.occamnetworks.comPacketFront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.packetfront.comSimplikate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.simplikate.comSterlite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sterlite-industries.comRBOCUPDATEVerizon Set to Enter AT&T TerritoryLast month Verizon submitted arequest to the Texas Public UtilitiesCommission to expand its cablefranchise territory in the Dallas-FortWorth area. The proposed cable franchisearea – in which Verizon presumablyintends to deploy its FiOS fiber-to-thepremisesnetwork – includes communitiesoutside of, though very close to,Verizon’s ILEC footprint, marking thefirst time that Verizon would enter thefray as a competitive provider. The areais already highly competitive, with tripleplay providers including AT&T, GrandeCommunications (a CLEC) and Comcast.The addition of FiOS may givesome residents more broadband choicesthan anyone else in the United States.20 | BROADBAND PROPERTIES | www.broadbandproperties.com | July 2008