HCTC selects Calix B6 ESAN for broadband stimulus project

PETALUMA, USA: Calix Inc. announced that Broadband Stimulus award winner Hill Country Telephone Co-operative (HCTC) has selected the Calix B6 Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) to move Fiber Forward in Texas Hill Country.

HCTC will pull 151 miles of fiber optic cable deep into its network and leverage asynchronous digital subscriber line 2 plus (ADSL2+) over the remaining last mile copper to bring advanced broadband services to more than 550 subscribers in the most rural parts of its serving area. HCTC’s Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) award totals $12.2 million in overall funds and consists of an $8.5 million grant and a $3.7 million loan, which includes plant engineering, materials, labor, and other costs, including access equipment.

“Broadband is the key to future rural economic development in our area, and we’re excited about the new opportunities that this project will bring to our subscribers,” said Delbert Wilson, general manager of HCTC. ”We have been extremely focused to date in bringing broadband services to our rural members, but there were some folks that we just couldn’t reach economically. With this Stimulus assistance and flexible access solutions from Calix, we’ll be able to bring advanced high-speed broadband services to our entire service area.”

One of the largest independent operating companies (IOCs) in Texas with over 15,000 access lines and 6200 DSL customers, HCTC has been deploying the B6 ESAN widely in its network for nearly four years for voice and high-speed data services. Already approaching 90% broadband coverage, HCTC’s Stimulus project will extend broadband service capability to 100 percent of its cooperative members, enabling advanced broadband service speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) via ADSL2+ technology.

“Delbert Wilson has always been a champion of broadband services for rural communities, and has position HCTC to bring advanced Internet access to its most remote subscribers,” said John Colvin, vice president of field operations at Calix. ”This deployment will bring new opportunities to thousands of subscribers in HCTC’s rural communities. Calix is honored to have been chosen to be a part of this important initiative, and is excited to be helping HCTC to continue to move Fiber Forward.”

With today’s announcement, aggregate Calix vendor selections by Broadband Stimulus winners for “last mile” and “middle-mile” awards have now reached 51 different projects representing approximately $944 million in Stimulus-related grants, loans, and private investment for plant engineering, materials, labor, and other costs, including access equipment.