RAINSVILLE, AL – February 9, 2015 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced that Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (FTC), Alabama’s largest member-owned operating telephone cooperative, is now delivering fiber-enabled gigabit services via the Calix B6 Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) and 716 Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) in DeKalb and Jackson Counties. Launched last week, FTC’s gigabit service offering, which includes digital voice, internet protocol television (IPTV), security, and broadband speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), were instantly made available across the company’s entire fiber network. Powered by this 2770-mile, point-to-point gigabit Ethernet (GE) network, covering the northeast portion of Alabama between Huntsville and Chattanooga, TN, FTC’s powerful gigabit subscriber experience is enhanced with symmetrical 1 Gbps data speeds both in the upstream as well as the downstream.
“FTC is a member-owned cooperative with a mission to bring world-class services to our membership and gigabit services are the next step in our commitment,” said Fred Johnson, executive vice president and general manager at FTC. “We believe the gigabit experience can transform our communities through advanced learning tools, new entertainment options, and telemedicine services, just to name a few. By expanding our fiber network to reach more than 80 percent of our serving area and utilizing the power of the Calix Unified Access portfolio, we are in a position to future-proof our investment for whatever emerging applications our increasingly device-enabled subscribers demand.”
As part of the launch of FTC’s gigabit services, the company connected its first gigabit customer, Mrs. Karl Marie Ables of Geraldine, the widow of Ralph Everett Ables, who held the first membership in the cooperative six decades ago. For other fiber-connected members, FTC is offering two tiers of broadband service at 1 Gbps symmetrical, and 100 megabits per second (Mbps) symmetrical. Gigabit services are available to both FTC’s residential and business customers in its fiber footprint, with additional premium services offered to commercial customers to meet their business-critical requirements.
“FTC is leading the gigabit charge in Alabama, adding one more to the growing list of states which are meeting the FCC’s challenge to create a gigabit community in every state by the end of the year,” said John Colvin, Calix senior vice president of North American sales. “In the past year, we have seen the gigabit wave accelerate as Calix has enabled more than 65 gigabit networks in 37 states. 2015 looks to be another banner year for gigabit networks and we are excited to help service providers like FTC as they pull fiber forward to meet the FCC’s challenge and act as a beacon for the rest of the world to follow.”
