MARCH 15, 2005, PETALUMA, CA—Calix announced today details of a network-wide deployment of its Calix
C7 multiservice access platform with Pioneer Telephone, the country's
third largest telephone cooperative.
Calix has completed the first three phases of Pioneer's eight-region
network upgrade to high-speed ADSL2+ and IPTV services, and entered the fourth
phase to be deployed in April 2005; the Oklahoma network is expected to be
fully ultra-broadband enabled and video ready by early 2006. The Pioneer IPTV rollout blankets the
carrier's entire network footprint of 72 exchanges and, when complete, will
provide up to 33,000 homes with IPTV capability. Capitalizing on the flexibility of the C7 platform, Pioneer is
using the Calix systems to provide both high-speed residential and business
access over the existing copper plant, as well as to aggregate, groom, and
backhaul traffic from multiple access points for fiber-based transport to
regional Pioneer facilities.
"We have had a very aggressive rollout schedule for IPTV,
with a goal of turning up one new region every quarter," said Richard Ruhl,
General Manager at Pioneer Telephone.
"As with any new, leading edge technology deployment, such as ADSL2+,
technological and operational issues do surface and must be addressed.
Calix has been working with us along the way
to ensure smooth deployment, end-to-end interoperability with other network
components, and rapid service turn-up.
As a result, we have been able to offer the service commercially since
July of 2004. The Calix solution also
gives us enormous economies of scale, because we are using it to serve both
access and transport functions. This flexibility allows us to offer our
subscribers the state-of-the-art in IPTV at competitive price points."
Pioneer is competing with some of the nation's leading cable
providers, as well as independent cable companies and direct broadcast
satellite (DBS) providers, for its IPTV market share.
The Pioneer service is capable of delivering up to 166 channels
of streaming broadcast content and will use ADSL2+ to support the viewing of as
many as three different TV channels simultaneously per home. Pioneer IPTV subscribers find even more
value when choosing from a number of bundled packages that include high-speed
Internet access, voice services, and special service features, such as
On-screen Caller ID, available only from a truly integrated communications and
entertainment services provider.
Throughout the network, Pioneer is using video headend
equipment from Tut Systems, middleware from Myrio, and set-top-boxes from Amino
in their IPTV deployment. To ensure the rapid scalability of the network, Calix
pre-tested end-to-end interoperability of the solution under production
conditions for Pioneer through its CalixCompatible Solutions Assurance Program.
"The pace of IPTV deployments continues to ramp across our
customer base," said Frank Wiener, Calix vice president of field marketing and
author of The Book on Video. "By year end 2004, more than 25 percent of
our customers were offering IPTV services, and 100 percent could offer the
service in 2005, in most cases with the introduction of a single card into
their existing networks. Calix has optimized both its platform, and its
business processes, to ensure rapid deployment of IPTV and to minimize the
complexity of the rollout for our customers. This strategy continues to
substantially benefit our customers."
The Calix C7 allows
service providers to begin offering IP-based video entertainment services over
DSL, and allows them to migrate subscribers to FTTP as desired, while retaining
their investment in video encoders, middleware, IP set top boxes, and the
access and transport network. The C7 supports up to 2,400 ultra-broadband fiber
or copper interfaces in a single 7' rack, with ten OC-48 interfaces and an
aggregate of 1 Tbps in backplane bandwidth. Despite this enormous capacity,
carriers can deploy the C7 very economically, even in environmentally harsh
environments.
About Pioneer Telephone
Pioneer Telephone is a multi-service communications company with more
than 140,000 total customers/members in 30 Oklahoma counties. Serving customers
since 1953, Pioneer is the third largest telephone cooperative in the United
States. Pioneer provides an array of communications products and services,
including Local Telephone Service, Digital TV, Cellular, DSL, Long Distance,
Internet, Paging, Security Systems, Key System Sales/Maintenance and Directory
Advertisement. More information is available at Pioneer's newly designed
website www.ptci.com.
About Calix
Calix is a leading supplier of telecommunications solutions designed to simplify all
aspects of voice, data, and video service delivery to business and residential
subscribers for local exchange carriers of all sizes. Providing extensive
optical and metallic density, unprecedented access capacity and functional
headroom, advanced management and provisioning capabilities, and broad service
flexibility, the packet-based Calix C7 platform has been deployed in over 150
service provider networks throughout North America. More information about
Calix can be found at www.calix.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management's
current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements
are based upon information available to us as of the date of this press release
and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward looking
statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release.
Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current
expectations.
For additional information contact:
Jeannette Bitz
Engage PR
510-748-8200 x207
jbitz@engagepr.com
