OAKLAND, Calif., Apr 27, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Zhone Technologies, Inc. (ZHNE 2.81, +0.01, +0.36%) , a global leader in network access solutions for fiber, copper and wireless broadband infrastructures, today announced that KanOkla Networks has selected Zhone’s MXK Terabit-Scale multi-service access platforms (MSAPs) and zNID optical network terminals (ONTs) for an extensive fiber to the home (FTTH) project that will provide the foundation for 1Gig Active Ethernet service. In addition to platform performance and future-proof capacity with the MXK, KanOkla cited ease of management via a single-screen graphical user interface (GUI) and zNID’s advanced auto-provisioning as winning factors in its selection criteria.
KanOkla Networks currently serves 20 exchanges within a 1,400 square-mile region extending throughout Oklahoma and Kansas and provisions to residents that often live 10 miles or more from central office locations. For businesses and residents, making the switch to fiber from slow-speed connections, brings both new prospects and opportunities.
“We see FTTH as a transformative technology for our communities,” said Greg Aldridge, CEO for KanOkla. “For example, broadband fiber is helping ranchers and farmers in our area compete more effectively in the open market through online video auctions and up-to-the minute intelligence on commodity pricing.”
“At a relatively early stage in the technology, over the top video already accounts for roughly 30 percent of Internet bandwidth traffic making 1Gig service inevitable,” said Ed Bernard, Plant Supervisor and director of KanOkla’s FTTH project. “Scalability and the flexibility to make changes and provision new services remotely provide savings that will continue to compound for our subscribers over time.”
KanOkla employed the Nebraska firm, HunTel Engineering to assist with RUS funding, network design and vendor selection. HunTel and KanOkla evaluated offerings from six separate vendors. Three made the first cut until they ultimately narrowed the field to two. “Zhone’s auto-provisioning is a key differentiator and it becomes increasingly valuable in a dispersed geography,” said Karlin Kelley, General Manager of HunTel. “We all did our due diligence and as a result of careful planning and preparation, the project is going smoothly.”
“Zhone provides the highest capacity MSAP platform available today with the broadest range of ONTs in the industry, giving operators investment protection for the future coupled with powerful automation features that yield even more savings over time,” said Brian Caskey, CMO for Zhone. “KanOkla’s FTTH project represents the benefits of the RUS broadband initiative at its best, providing all of us more choice in how and where we live, work and interact within our communities.”
