Network Upgrade in ILEC Service Area Enables Central Scott to Offer New Broadband Services, GPON Solutions Ensure Central Scott Outperforms Competitors in Quad Cities Area
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Occam Networks®, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCNW), a leading broadband access supplier offering multiservice access platform (MSAP) solutions based on pure packet technologies, announced today that Central Scott Telephone, headquartered in Eldridge, Iowa, has deployed Occam solutions in two significant upgrade projects. Central Scott is now unlocking new revenue streams as a result of upgrading its existing DSL network to improve the quality of current voice and data services as well as future video services to be offered. It is also completing a competitive fiber overbuild to make advanced services available to the neighboring Quad Cities area.
Occam solutions replaced an existing unreliable, non-carrier grade Ethernet ring that served Central Scott’s three exchanges, but lacked the capacity and flexibility to handle the VoIP service Central Scott introduced. The provider also had limited fiber facilities in its CLEC territory in Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa, requiring it to lease capacity from other carriers to reach customers. After curing these quality issues, Central Scott expanded its services to include unserved areas, offering access speeds to its business customers of over 100Mbps for some.
“Running VoIP over the older Ethernet ring did not provide the quality of service we needed to offer our subscribers. Occam’s BLC 6000 MSAP provided the reliability and ease of operation that helped us increase revenues in our existing coverage area,” said Butch Rebman, President and COO of Central Scott Telephone. “We are able to leverage Occam’s 1Gbps ring capabilities to offer high-quality VoIP and Ethernet services affordably.”
Central Scott then built on these successes by completing a competitive overbuild into the Quad Cities area, home to more than 300,000 potential subscribers. Given the population density of the area and consumer demand for increased broadband capacity, Central Scott chose to deploy GPON service in Occam’s BLC 6000 MSAP and began offering 4-5Mbps service, effectively positioning themselves against their local competitors.
In addition to focusing on consumers, Central Scott is serving the area’s anchor institutions, such as schools and government, as well as networking several medical facilities with connections as fast as 100Mbps. These new rings are connected to Iowa Network Services (INS), an organization of 127 independent telephone companies that operates a statewide fiber optic network.
“When Central Scott first started working with Occam, they relied on our equipment, experience and expertise to address the immediate business need of improving the reliability of their DSL network,” said Juan Vela, Director, Solutions Marketing and Strategy for Occam Networks. “As the partnership grew, Central Scott gained confidence in Occam’s ability to first extend services into previously unserved areas, and then overbuild into the Quad Cities, which has significantly increased their subscriber base and revenues.”
