OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Zhone Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZHNE), a global leader in FTTx network access solutions, today announced its influential partnership with SRT Communications (SRT) to use Zhone’s industry-leading MXK™ multi-service access node (MSAN) during and after the disaster relief in Minot, North Dakota, an event estimated to cost more than one billion dollars. Through carefully constructed plans and prompt reactions in time of need, SRT and Zhone restored phone and Internet service to nearly 2,100 non-evacuated customers who were served out of flooded service buildings.
“Communications are critical in times of disaster, and Zhone worked with SRT quickly and efficiently to coordinate a new MXK deployment to restore service for the 3,000 Minot area customers affected,” noted Shawn Grosz, Director of Network Technology, SRT Communications. “SRT has also begun the reconstruction of damaged permanent structures, which will utilize the MXK offering for consistent communication. SRT is grateful for Zhone’s quick response and exceptional customer service in this time of need for our community.”
SRT offers regular updates on the progress of the relief effort through their website: www.srt.com. Customers can check in on restoration status and see visual proof of progress through the provided updates and photos; the page is a testament to the ongoing endeavor of communication service restoration. In uncertain times of high stress, more information is preferred, and SRT has worked hard with Zhone to ensure all parties involved have the ability to communicate and stay up-to-date with the latest developments. The company also provides a service area map of affected areas: http://www.srt.com/onlinestore/resources/pdfs/map.pdf.
“SRT’s dedication to its customers in the Minot area during the disaster sets a great example to the communications industry,” said Brian Caskey, Chief Marketing Officer, Zhone. “Minot was hit hard by the event and we will continue to support SRT in its endeavor to rebuild community – and communication – through our MXK technology and consistent planning.”
SRT serves 48,000 customers, as the largest telephone cooperative in North Dakota, including consumers, businesses and governmental agencies; it has remained a regional leader in deploying enhanced telecommunications services for the past 60 years. SRT currently provides broadband and dial-up Internet services, wireless service, cable TV and IPTV as well as traditional telephone, leased line, voicemail and long-distance voice services. After a year-long trial with Zhone, SRT chose to fully utilize the MXK for its new Microsoft Mediaroom-based video offering (SRTVision) to achieve its expansion plans to reach the 5,800 unserved subscribers in its coverage area. SRT is also one of Zhone’s first customers, having deployed the MALC™ MSAN solution almost a decade ago when SRT was seeking an extendable and cost-effective solution to deliver broadband services to its customers.
Zhone has deployed more than 2,000 of its fully redundant, carrier-grade all-IP MXK platforms with more than 150 service providers in over 40 countries. Featuring industry-leading density, scalability and switching capacity, the MXK is the industry’s first terabit access concentrator and provides non-blocking capacity of up to 3,600 100 Mbps GPON subscribers or 360 1G Active Ethernet subscribers.
For more information about Zhone’s MXK solution or to learn more about its various applications, including mobile backhaul, please visit the Zhone FiberHome™ or Zhone FiberCell™ portfolios on the Zhone website. For photos of the disaster relief site, visit the SRT Picasa page. And to contribute to the disaster relief fund through the American Red Cross, visit the donation page.
