Growing numbers of utilities leverage ADTRAN solutions and FiberRise engineering expertise to transform rural communities through broadband
HUNTSVILLEAla.– (August 28, 2018)—ADTRAN®, Inc., (NASDAQ:ADTN), the leading provider of next-generation open networking solutions, announced today that Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC), Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (MLEC), North Alabama Electric Cooperative (NAEC) and Tombigbee Electric Cooperativehave selected ADTRAN access solutions and FiberRiseengineering services to deliver Gigabit broadband to their member communities.
Just as their delivery of electricity decades ago transformed lives in rural communities, these service providers recognize the delivery of world class broadband as equally vital today. Gigabit service allows rural communities to participate in today’s globally-connected marketplace—bringing economic growth, access to better educational and healthcare resources and a host of other opportunities that will change lives for the better.
“We launched fiber broadband services as a means to improve the lives of those we serve, and we’re realizing everyday how life-changing the impacts to our community will be in so many ways, including more ability to attract and retain businesses and improved educational opportunities,” SVEC CEO and President Mike Partin said. “We expect our partners to have the same servant’s heart for our members as we do, and both FiberRise and ADTRAN are delivering that for us.”
FiberRise provides a comprehensive implementation plan to support the vision of each of these providers, ensuring reach and advanced service delivery to customers throughout the member communities. Using ADTRAN’s Total Access 5000 Gigabit services architecture, the cooperatives are establishing long-term, multi-gigabit fiber access solutions built on an open, scalable architecture that provides the reliability and flexibility demanded of a modern telecommunications network.
“We pride ourselves on meeting our members’ needs through reliable and affordable access to the essential services to grow the community. By working with FiberRise and ADTRAN to enhance our network and deliver fiber broadband, we know we’re taking one of the best steps we can for our members,” MLEC President and CEO said Keith Carnahan said. “We’re excited about what the future holds and look forward to all the new opportunities Gigabit service carries with it.”
“We’ve been implementing fiber in our community for some time now, having realized long ago that the only way our members would get access to the highest quality broadband available is for us to deliver it—working with dependable partners like ADTRAN and FiberRise,” NAEC General Manger Bruce Purdy said. “We know how key fiber broadband is to the economic development of our community. It’s our aim to ensure affordable access to Gig service for our members that wish to have it.”
“ADTRAN provided the ideal technology, while FiberRise brought the oversight and design we needed to develop and deploy our area’s first Gigabit service offering,” Tombigbee President and CEO Steve Foshee said. “We’ll be able to offer dependable, high-quality broadband at a level equal to any major city and afford our members access to a critical resource they would not otherwise have in our community.”
“Together, these cooperatives are enabling a new future for over 100,000 lives across Alabama and Tennessee,” FiberRise CEO Tommy Harmon said. “Our deployment of utility-grade fiber systems delivers the optimal foundation to support their communication needs so their networks will operate at the highest possible up time for everyone they serve. By partnering with ADTRAN, we can assure our customers of strong, stable networks that will serve as the foundation for a new wave of growth and opportunity.”
“For electric cooperatives, the community always comes first, and these utility operators are proof that where there is a will, there is a way to extend the range and reach of broadband services within any community in a cost-effective way,” ADTRAN Vice President of Regional Service Provider Sales Brian Efimetz said. “We see the utilities space as a growing opportunity for our solutions and services and look forward to continued work with FiberRise in this market.”
About FiberRise
FiberRise, LLC enables electric utilities to implement and maintain fiber infrastructure with complete business visibility and simplicity in the delivery of broadband services. FiberRise serves electrical cooperatives and investor-owned utilities with the service and support needed to manage fiber projects from inception to operation. FiberRise focuses on quality of life by helping to make broadband affordable and accessible to all. For more information, please visit us at www.fiber-rise.com.
About ADTRAN
ADTRAN, Inc. is a leading global provider of networking and communications equipment. ADTRAN’s products enable voice, data, video and Internet communications across a variety of network infrastructures. ADTRAN solutions are currently in use by service providers, private enterprises, government organizations, and millions of individual users worldwide. For more information, please visit www.adtran.com, Linkedin and Twitter