May 18, 2004 Minneapolis, MN--Fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology provider Optical Solutions has been selected by Indiana-based Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) to provide direct fiber connectivity to homes and businesses in Greensburg, a community of 10,000 residents in Southeastern Indiana.
ETC, an incumbent local-exchange carrier (ILEC) and competitive local-exchange carrier (CLEC) operator with 6,700 access lines in the nearby communities of Sunman and Batesville, is using Optical Solutions' FiberPath platform to provide voice, high speed data, and video service to Greensburg. The deployment is representative of ETC's aggressive strategy to bring new and better quality services to areas underserved by incumbent telephone and cable operators.
"The success of our Batesville CLEC - where we've captured more than 50% of the customer base -- proves there is a market for competitive solutions from a local company," said Robert T. Miles Jr., president and chief executive of ETC. "With FiberPath, we can give Greensburg businesses and residents a range of services far superior to what's currently available, and with our future-proof network, we can continue to add services or upgrades for decades to come."
ETC will deploy FiberPath 500, an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) full service access network (FSAN) compliant solution featuring Gigabit Ethernet technology.
"By investing in FTTP today, ETC is securing its future tomorrow," said Brian Brown, senior vice president of sales and service at Optical Solutions. "Based on our experience in serving the CLEC market, a competitive triple-play overbuild with FTTP will produce the take-rates needed for ROI and profitable revenue streams -- including streams from unregulated services that help aggressive companies like ETC finance continued growth and expansion."
Construction for the first phase of the Greenburg deployment is currently underway, and ETC expects to turn up service to as many as 2,000 businesses and residences starting next month. Additional residential customers will receive service by the end of the year. ETC has established a local office at 220 E. Main Street in Greensburg to provide direct customer relations, billing, and service support.