BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
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36 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MAY/JUNE 2014 FTTH CONFERENCE & EXPO News From Featured Exhibitors Calix Makes the Gig Leap PETALUMA, CA – Ever since Google Fiber announced a national competition to bring symmetrical gigabit speeds to an American community, a "gig" has captured people's imaginations. Fast forward to today, and gigabit networks are spreading like wildfre. Many innovations introduced by Google are being implemented across the country. Tese include 1) aggressive pricing of symmetrical gigabit services at less than $80 per month, 2) reduction of the number of service tiers so each tier is highly diferentiated in consumers' eyes and 3) the use of fberhoods to determine which neighborhoods get built out based on the level of preregistrations for the ofered service. Since Google made its original announcement, it has begun deployments in both Kansas Cities and their suburbs; in Austin, Texas; and in Provo, Utah. Another 34 communities are working with Google for the opportunity to become the next Google Fiber city. Google's biggest impact, however, has been getting other service providers to act. Since the FCC announced the goal of having a gigabit community in every state by the end of 2015, gigabit communities have started to be built in more than 25 states. Tese announcements are accelerating, and, in some cases, such as Austin, multiple service providers have announced a gig – with Grande Communications, a Calix customer, the frst to launch. Most important, service providers rolling out gigabit networks are seeing positive results, including higher market share and higher ARPU. Ofering gigabit services changes the perception of consumers toward gigabit providers. Tey are viewed much more positively, recognized as technology leaders. Tis "halo efect" is particularly important for service providers that may have struggled in the past with outdated infrastructure or declining market share. Burlington Telecom, for example, in Burlington, Vt., used gigabit service to reinvigorate its fber network ofering. Te city of Highland, Ill., has seen its installations increase dramatically since introducing a 100 Mbps service last fall and, more recently, a gigabit service. Calix customers have been at the forefront of "making the gig leap." Today, Calix customers in more than 20 states and one Canadian province are rolling out gigabit residential services. Calix has partnered with these service providers to assist them in marketing gigabit service and has developed tools to analyze the business benefts of introducing more highly diferentiated service tiers. Ofering gigabit service is merely part of a larger efort toward ofering a highly diferentiated broadband experience. What does it mean to be a diferentiated broadband experience provider? It means ofering a product mix that consumers fnd compelling, with strong loyalty to your brand. It means becoming an essential part of customers' daily lives. It means having the analytical tools to understand what customers are doing with their gig. In the compelling marketing campaign tied to its gigabit rollout in Omaha, CenturyLink asks consumers, "What would you do with your Gig?" Trough the use of Compass software, Calix customers can gain insight into the broadband behavior of their subscribers. Compass tools create intelligence that can be used by customer service, engineering and operations to create a better user experience. Tese same tools can be used by marketing to identify consumers who are interested in upgrading to a higher-tier service or who might be open to utilizing a new smart-home service. Ultimately, successful operators that make the gig leap are not those introducing a higher service tier. A gigabit is not just another tier of service with a bigger number. A successful gigabit service provider changes the dynamics of broadband service provision, creating a customer-centric model with new revenue streams. For more information on how Calix is helping service providers make the gig leap, visit www.calix. com/gigabit. Clearfeld Continues to Reduce The Cost of Broadband Deployment With SmartRoute Technology SmartRoute Panel pays out exact fber lengths without preengineering or site survey. Dual SmartRoute spool design integrates ISP and OSP fber in single 1RU panel. MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Clearfeld's new SmartRoute spooling technology is an innovative fber management design that houses connectors, cable assembly and slack storage in a single unit. Te SmartRoute Panel, with dual SmartRoute spools deployed, integrates ISP and OSP cable assemblies in a single 1RU high panel. Clearfeld's SmartRoute Panel combines micro distribution cable, spooling technology and MPO connectorization in a single panel, relieving cable congestion, simplifying ordering and eliminating incorrect cable length of ISP/OSP cable assemblies. Site engineering and installation costs are greatly reduced or even eliminated due to the ability to deploy multiple fber types at lengths of up to 200 feet. Efective in any environment where a fber panel and cable BBC_May14.indd 36 5/29/14 9:16 AM