Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the telecommunications service provider for The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, has selected the Calix (
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Alert) access solutions portfolio to replace its existing access infrastructure.
The Calix solution will be provided through a resale and integration agreement with Sonus Networks (
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Alert).
The Calix solutions are expected to pave the way for higher-speed, more widely available broadband and advanced new information, communication, and entertainment services to be deployed throughout the islands.
The Calix platforms will also allow BTC to begin selective deployment of higher-speed GPON-based FTTP as well as new services such as IPTV

.
The project to rebuild BTC’s access network is part of a larger effort to replace the entire circuit-switched voice network with an advanced VOIP network from Sonus Networks.
Sonus’ IMS-based platform provides a foundation for the potential integration of wired and wireless networks. The deployment of a Sonus-based network is a critical step in BTC’s efforts to build a more robust communications network to deliver to its customers superior information, communication, and entertainment services.
“This is a massive step forward in enabling the business and residential communities of The Bahamas to be globally competitive and connected. The Calix solution provides us with an access infrastructure on which we can grow—both in terms of bandwidth and services—for years to come while significantly reducing operating costs,” said I. Kirk Griffin, executive vice president at BTC, in a statement.
BTC will primarily use the Calix C7 multiservice access platform (MSAP), North America’s most widely deployed MSAP according to Infonetics Group, to support the full range of legacy and advanced Ethernet and IP services. In addition to POTS, DS1, DS3, and SONET

services, the C7 easily supports Gigabit Ethernet, advanced DSL, and 2.5 Gbps GPON-based FTTP.
Complementing the Calix C7 in targeted fiber deployments will be Calix 700G optical network terminals (ONTs), the industry’s most deployed and flexible residential and business-focused GPON

ONTs, and the Calix Management System (CMS), which provides a unified network view across all Calix infrastructure.
BTC and its customers armed with the Calix access portfolio in the Bahamas will take a significant leap forward in their communications infrastructure.
BTC is now ready to deploy the most advanced IP-based services and migrate its networks toward a future comprised of greater bandwidth, more fiber, and Ethernet-based transport.
John Colvin, Calix vice president of field operations, said, “Calix is proud of its role in helping BTC bring a world-class communication infrastructure to the region. BTC’s decision to base its access network on solutions from Calix follows a string of similar moves by other large service providers throughout the Caribbean looking to enhance their global competitiveness and services infrastructure. In each case, the drivers are similar – a need for a dramatic increase in network capacity, a move toward an IP-based infrastructure, an interest in increasing service diversity, and a need to minimize operating costs. The Calix portfolio of access solutions is ideally suited to address these challenges.”
Calix is one of the largest telecom equipment supplier focused solely on access solutions for broadband service delivery.
Service providers deploy Calix access systems to enable a rich set of information, communication, and entertainment services and to expand their revenue base beyond connectivity.
Calix access innovation helps service providers transform their networks from circuit to packet, narrowband to broadband, and copper to fiber.
Anil Sharma is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anil’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
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Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) | X |
| Passive Optical Networks emerged to eliminate all active (electrically-power) devices between the Central Office or CATV Head-End and the customer premise. PON systems or PONS are part of a Fiber-To-...more |
Synchronous Optical NETworks (SONET) | X |
| SONET is a time division multiplexing system with fixed time segments called synchronous packet envelope or 51.84 megabits per second or OC-1 optical carrier level one to OC-768 - 39.81 gigabits per s...more |
Internet Protocol (IP) | X |
| IP stands for Internet Protocol, a data-networking protocol developed throughout the 1980s. It is the established standard protocol for transmitting and receiving data
in packets over the Internet. I...more |
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) | X |
| IPTV delivers a digital television service to subscribers
via the Internet Protocol over a broadband connection....more |