Hardee County Broadband Project extends broadband to more than 2,800 residences and 800 businesses in central Florida
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – June 14, 2010 – Occam Networks (Nasdaq: OCNW) today announced Hardee County, Florida and Rapid Systems, a Network Integrator and internet service provider, will deploy the Occam BLC 6000 multiservice access platform (MSAP) for the aggregation of services provided through the Hardee County Broadband Project. This county-wide network will bring broadband to 2,800 homes and 800 businesses through out the area.
“Historically, rural areas like Hardee County have not had the most advanced broadband offering, so customers often have to rely on dial-up services,” said Bill Lambert, director, Hardee County Economic Development. “Hardee County will now be providing an innovative network that offers resources on par with those in larger cities. The project will also speed economic recovery from recent hurricanes and increase the ability of local residents and businesses to compete in both the national and global economies.”
With funding from the Hardee County Economic Development Authority, Hardee County, with Rapid Systems’ operational and management support, will deliver fixed wireless broadband access across the region today, while preparing for fiber tomorrow. Utilizing Occam’s Ethernet Protection System and carrier Ethernet services, the Hardee County Broadband Project lays the framework and foundation for future fiber builds with both GPON and Active Ethernet technologies. Initially, businesses and residents will have access to a variety of service offers, starting at speeds of 3Mbps and scaling to 100Mbps
“It has been a true testament to the people of Hardee County to watch this project go from a proposal to a reality,” said Dustin Jurman, CEO of Rapid Systems. “They are a great example of the benefits that a private/public partnership can deliver. Having worked with Occam before, I knew the company’s technology was the perfect choice to meet the needs of this partnership today, while future-proofing the network for whatever services may come tomorrow.”
Utilizing the BLC 6000 to aggregate wireless traffic and provide network resiliency, Rapid Systems is able to offer high-speed broadband services to Hardee County today. The installed Occam equipment is also capable of providing even higher capacity as required for future fiber builds. As more businesses enter the community, Rapid Systems can easily expand service offerings without costly or cumbersome equipment upgrades.
“Unserved and underserved areas of the country are, at long last, receiving the type of broadband speeds that can provide true economic development,” said Juan Vela, director of solutions marketing and strategy at Occam Networks. “With the vast array of technologies available for the Occam BLC 6000 and the service support it provides, Occam can play a pivotal role in the delivery of broadband to any area over any access technology.”
