LEVERETT, MA – August 13, 2013 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced the Leverett Broadband Committee has awarded the contract to build its Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) project to Millennium Communications Group Inc. (MCG) of East Hanover, NJ. MCG as part of its proposal to the Town of Leverett partnered with Calix to include the Calix E7-20 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) capable of delivering gigabit services throughout the western Massachusetts town. Leveraging point-to-point gigabit Ethernet (GE) technology to deliver high-speed symmetrical broadband to every residence and business in town, the Leverett fiber network will set a new standard for advanced broadband services in Massachusetts as the first gigabit services network in the Commonwealth. The Leverett Broadband Committee enthusiastically supported the inclusion of the Calix platform, largely because of its advanced capabilities. Construction will start immediately, with completion targeted for the end of 2014. MCG’s sister company Matrix Design Group will oversee the project and network design, as well as the make-ready work for the Leverett fiber network.
“For many years, our town of Leverett suffered from inadequate broadband offerings, with some of our residents unable to connect at all,” said Peter d’Errico, chair of the Leverett Broadband Committee and member of the Leverett Select Board. “We took matters into our own hands and, after two years of evaluation and planning, are very proud to now be bringing one of the nation’s most advanced broadband networks to western Massachusetts. In choosing Calix and MCG, we feel confident that our community will thrive economically, socially, and culturally well into the future, and become a model for other towns in our region.”
To date, the Town of Leverett has been underserved with a small number of residents having access to DSL service, while most were limited to dial-up or satellite Internet service. With the completion of the nearby Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) middle mile fiber network, Leverett took the opportunity to build a state-of-the-art fiber last-mile network to connect to the MBI network and provide advanced broadband services to its residents. Leverett is the first to build a last-mile network in western Massachusetts to connect to the MBI.
“As middle mile networks created by the Broadband Stimulus program near completion, underserved communities throughout the country will be looking to leverage this new fiber to expand the reach of broadband in their regions,” said John Colvin, senior vice president of North America sales and marketing at Calix. “Towns like Leverett are on the forefront of this broadband effort, and are serving as an example of what is possible when communities come together for the benefit of all. By taking matters into their own hands, Leverett will transform from an underserved town into a gigabit community – one of the most connected in the country – with the capability to take full advantage of the emerging broadband applications of the future.”
Ron Cassel, CEO of MCG added, “Although we’ve been giving communities the power to control their broadband networking needs through ownership for more than 15 years, we are especially proud to be part of this unique endeavor with Calix and the Town of Leverett. It is the culmination of what we are all about as a company, empowering communities through ownership of the network, that’s the only way to ensure access to all. Leverett should be proud of their accomplishment; it will stand as a model for the rest of underserved America, for years to come.”
