Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) may have focused its initial attention on the lines it purchased from Verizon (NYSE: VZ) last year on upgrading PSTN quality and conducting necessary back office and billing integration, but now it's turning its attention to DSLAM backhaul and expanding its Ethernet over Copper (EoC) footprint throughout all of its entire territory.
Set on serving both new and existing residential and business customers, Frontier will leverage Actelis' Ethernet access products for DSLAM backhaul.
By replacing legacy T1 circuits with Actelis' Ethernet access devices, central office aggregation systems and spectrally friendly ANSI T1.417-compliant EFM repeaters, Frontier says it will be able to increase DSL service reach and service speeds by 10X to 20X over its existing copper network infrastructure.
"Frontier is using our equipment to deliver 5 to 40 Mbps Ethernet over Copper services and backhaul DSLAMs in these territories," said Joe Manuele, executive vice president of worldwide sales and customer service at Actelis in an interview with FierceTelecom. "Since time to market is critical, you can use copper that's already available to backhaul DSLAM traffic to the nearest CO instead of laying fiber."
Such a scenario will have an impact on both residential and business users alike.
On the residential service side, Manuele said Frontier "can install DSL to many more people more quicker and it's more economical to use assets they already have in the ground and another way to bridge the digital divide by enabling DSLAM backhaul by using existing copper infrastructure."
Likewise, single and multi-location SMBs that want higher bandwidth beyond a 1.5 Mbps T1 line, but aren't in reach of Frontier's fiber network will be able to get an Ethernet over Copper service with rates from as low as 2 Mbps to as high as 40 Mbps.
Being able to quickly expand its DSL service and business-grade EoC service will give existing and new customers--especially in the former Verizon territories--some peace of mind that Frontier is motivated to serve them with higher bandwidth services that were likely not available before.
For more:
- see the release
Related articles:
Frontier pumps $14 million into its Wisconsin broadband network
Frontier puts $59 M into its West Virginia PSTN network
Vertical: Business fiber availability up in U.S. and Europe, but SMBs remain underserved
MegaPath furthers its bond with Ethernet over Copper