Xfone, a facilities-based Fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) provider, is putting its broadband stimulus funding dollars to action as it starts building its "PRIDE" network.
Upon completion, the new FTTP network when will reach 19 Texas communities including Iowa Park and Burkburnett. A third portion of the network will bring broadband services to various Louisiana communities in the St. Helena, Washington and Tangipahoa Parish areas. In total, Xfone's PRIDE FTTP network will pass 50,000 homes and businesses.
To build out the PRIDE network, Xfone will leverage $54 million in loans and $45.9 million in grants from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Broadband Initiative Program. These funds will be used by PRIDE Network to not only build out a FTTP-based network that will incorporate a WiMAX service extension in both the Texas and Louisiana markets it is targeting.
While the PRIDE network may be new, Xfone is no stranger to the FTTP game. Already, the service provider offers FTTP services in both Lubbock and Levelland, Texas. As of the end of June, Xfone had 4,920 FTTP customers, an increase over the 3,718 FTTP customers it had at the end of June 2009.
For more:
- see the release
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