DZS (NASDAQ: DZSI) says it has reached an agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative, Inc. (NCTC) that will see NCTC’s more than 700 member service providers receive special pricing on DZS FTTx optical line terminals (OLTs), customer premises portfolio, and mobile transport technology. DZS says it also will be able to offer expedited delivery of fiber-optic cable for members who buy their equipment.
NCTC is a not-for-profit corporation that operates as a programming, broadband technology, and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies throughout the U.S. and its territories. These members primarily are small and mid-sized independent cable and broadband operators; NCTC essentially pools the combined buying power of these members to enable favorable purchase terms.
In this instance, DZS will offer special pricing as well as the option to receive expedited access to fiber cable; currently, scheduled delivery with this option would be 12 weeks, which DZS describes as “a fraction of the time being experienced on the open market.” Equipment covered by the agreement includes 10G OLTs and Layer 3 switching systems that support 100G MEF CE 2.0 rings that can carry converged access and wireless traffic. DZS adds that, upon request, it can provide tailored offerings such as network audit services, engineering support, technical guidance, and access to its RDOF Amplify! program designed for RDOF participants.
“We are pleased to offer our members discounted access to the full range of technology from DZS, a leading US-based fiber access manufacturer,” said Rob Smith, senior director of procurement at NCTC. “A recognized innovator committed to standards and technology flexibility, DZS delivers a high-density hardened portfolio of 1G and 10G solutions and broad CPE options, as well as a growing portfolio of field-proven mobile transport options for service providers.”
“DZS is committed to long-term, win-win access partnerships with NCTC and its members,” said Meggin Sawyer, vice president of North America sales at DZS. “For innovative operators deploying next-gen fiber networks, DZS supports virtually every FTTx deployment architecture for maximum freedom of choice. Plus, our ‘deal direct’ partnership arrangement enables NCTC members to minimize opex and capital expenditures while putting in place a cost-effective, reliable, and maintainable infrastructure that doesn’t erode margins with onerous license fees.”
The agreement is the second NCTC has reached with a 10G PON technology provider in recent months, following a similar deal with ADTRAN last November (see “NCTC approves ADTRAN for PON, smart home technology supply” on Lightwave's sister site, Broadband Technology Report.).
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