Mediacom taps Nokia to be its rural PON broadband supplier

Mediacom is building PON networks to provide multi-gigabit broadband service to rural, underserved communities. Using a mix of its own capital and state and federal grant funding, Mediacom will employ Nokia's PON systems and equipment to support new geographical serving areas.

The cable operator, which offers broadband to 3.3 million homes and businesses in 22 states, will deploy Nokia’s chassis-based Optical Line Terminals (OLTs) and node-based OLTs. The chassis-based solution will be used in small, non-conditioned cabinets. At the same time, the node-based will be installed on strands or utility poles and capable of sustaining harsh outside plant environments.

J.R. Walden, SVP of technology and CTO at Mediacom, said the Nokia platform will enable it to meet current and future needs. “Nokia is supplying Mediacom systems that deliver up to 25G PON today,” he said. “Their platforms effectively support our services while allowing for future growth and expansion that will help Mediacom remain both a market and industry leader in advanced, high-performance data services.”

Mediacom’s work with Nokia is part of a broader plan to deepen its rural broadband footprint.

In March, Mediacom was awarded $13.4 million in four separate grants for projects in four Alabama counties. Fellow cable operator Charter was awarded $6.7 million. The cable operator won four different grants for deployments in four counties.  

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) awarded the funding awards. They totaled $24.7 million and will make high-speed broadband available to nearly 20,000 households, businesses, and community anchors.

Earlier, Mediacom was awarded funding for rural broadband in Delaware. Mediacom and the other awardees in Delaware—Verizon and Comcast—must pay at least 25% of the project from their capital and deploy service at speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps upstream.