TMCnet Contributor

Clarks Telecommunications, a subsidiary of Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company and a provider of local and long distance telephone, Internet, DSL, cable TV services as well as secure IT computer protection services in Nebraska, has selected the FieldSmart Platform of Fiber Management from Clearfield Inc. for its Fiber to the Home (FTTH) deployment.

Fiber to the Home involves Passive Optical Network (PON) technology which brings last mile fiber cabling and signals to the user. It is stated to be a reliable and secure network which can offer high speed data, voice and high quality video.

 

Clarks Telecommunications serves three exchanges in central Nebraska. Following the announcement of funding from the federal government to provide more rural Americans with high-quality, yet affordable broadband services, Clarks Telecommunications is all set to migrate to an FTTH system.

Clearfield, Inc. has been specializing in the design and manufacture of the FieldSmart Fiber Management Platform, which also is stated to include its latest generation Fiber Distribution System (FDS), Fiber Scalability Center (FSC) and Fiber Delivery Point (FDP).

These product-lines support a wide range of panel configurations, densities, connectors and adapter options. The company has been offering a complete line of fiber and copper assemblies for controlled and outside plant environments.

Clarks Telecom Assistant General Manager Terry Eriksen mentioned that Clearfield’s FieldSmart Fiber Distribution System (FDS) was installed in three central offices in Clarks, Staplehurst, and Ulysses. Clearfield’s FieldSmart FDS components, including patch only panels, frames, interbay management, and cross-over troughs, were used, along with active gear troughs and fiber jumpers.

Eriksen said the sophisticated simplicity and modularity of Clearfield’s product architecture were particularly compelling. According to Eriksen, the easy-to-navigate architecture is capable of offering greater continuity in the field.

 

“You don’t always have the same technicians visiting these sites. If we have some continuity at each of these sites, it makes it easier for our people to troubleshoot and route fiber jumpers,” added Eriksen.

Eriksen also mentioned that the area residents who will benefit from the FTTH overbuild are excited for the May 2009 roll out.

 

“Obviously it will improve their voice service, but it will also give us the ability to offer higher speeds of internet connectivity to them. And we’ll be able to provide IPTV (News - Alert) for the first time,” added Eriksen.

 

With this deployment, the company believes that it can now offer ‘Triple Play’ (News - Alert) packages on that network.

 

“Previously, with no fiber in the loop, we weren’t able to go very deep with an internet connection of any speed. Rural customers are just as savvy to the capabilities of broadband service and higher speed internet connections, and now we can give them what they want,” clarified Eriksen.

 

Reportedly, Clarks Telecom is also working with engineering firm RVW Inc. and electronics supplier Occam Networks for the FTTH initiative.