HUNTSVILLE, Ala.–(October 10, 2018)ADTRAN®, Inc., (NASDAQ:ADTN), the leading provider of next-generation open networking solutions, has expanded its market-leading Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) portfolio with 2nd generation Gfast products, allowing for the transparent extension of FTTH service capabilities. Delivering the industry’s first commercially available gigabit-capable Gfast solution shatters the market’s economic barriers to delivering the immersive applications and bandwidth-driven services customers need to fully participate in a global hyper-connected marketplace.

“Second generation Gfast solutions can allow operators, municipalities and regulatory agencies another delivery path to meeting the goal of delivering Gigabit speeds to consumers,” IHS Markit Principal Analyst, Service Provider Technology, John Kendall said. “The current Gfast market is set for strong growth as leading service providers are ramping deployments as a natural extension of their fiber investment strategies and Gigabit service rollout plans.”

Deployments of ADTRAN Gfast solutions are already underway in Tier 1 carrier networks in Asia, Australia, North America and Europe as network operators look to complement Fiber-to-the-Home deployments to deliver Gigabit services network wide. Together with further regional engagements with either active or pending deployments, these contribute to ADTRAN’s leadership in the rapidly growing SD-Access market.

ADTRAN is the first to deliver Gfast solutions that conform with Amendment 3 of the ITU-T G.fast standard, which doubles the usable spectrum from previously 106 Mhz to 212 MHz. With Amendment 3, Gfast is now capable of providing an aggregated bandwidth of 2 Gbps, delivering fiber-like speeds for Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs) and other applications which require leveraging the existing phone or cable television wiring infrastructure. The increased capacity also helps operators with additional deployment flexibility, as for the first time Gfast-based services can be delivered to locations where these need to coexist with existing VDSL2 services while still maintaining the ability to deliver symmetric Gigabit speeds.

Interest in Gfast is largely driven by network operators leveraging this technology within their FTTdp and FTTB deployment footprint. ADTRAN’s broad portfolio of Gfast solutions, ranging from single-port to high port count DPUs with a wide variety of powering options, including business case streamlining reverse powering, provides a complete toolset of rapidly deployable fiber extension solutions enabling operators to speed up the rollout of Gigabit services with minimal resident disruption and at a highly economical cost per subscriber.

Additionally, ADTRAN’s award-winning Gigabit to the Basement (GTTB) deployment model opens up the possibility to offer Gigabit services without the need for even deploying a distribution fiber from the feeding cabinet to the Gfast DPU. As with all of ADTRAN’s SD-Access portfolio, its Gfast DPUs are open network elements that seamlessly integrate into any modern software-defined architecture, as proven by various successful integration projects, allowing a vastly simplified path to service on-boarding especially within a multi-vendor environment.

“In today’s global economy, having access to Gigabit services has become playing stakes for any carrier that wants to compete for residential services,” ADTRAN Director of Portfolio Management, Broadband Solutions, Werner Heinrich said. “By delivering the industry’s most complete SD-Access solution set, including fully Gigabit-capable Gfast solutions, ADTRAN is providing our customers with the opportunity to expand the reach of their fiber broadband services and open the way into the Gigabit Society for many more of their subscribers.”