PETALUMA, CA – The Leverett Broadband Committee in Leverett, Massachusetts has awarded the contract to build its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project to Millennium Communications Group (MCG) of East Hanover, New Jersey. MCG as part of its proposal to Leverett partnered with Calix to include the Calix E7-20 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) capable of delivering gigabit services throughout the western Massachusetts town.
Leveraging point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet technology to deliver high-speed symmetrical broadband to every residence and business in town, the Leverett fiber network will set a new standard for advanced broadband services in Massachusetts as the first gigabit services network in the Commonwealth. The Leverett Broadband Committee supported the inclusion of the Calix platform, largely because of its advanced capabilities. Construction will start immediately, with completion targeted for the end of 2014. MCG’s sister company Matrix Design Group will oversee the project and network design, as well as the make-ready work for the Leverett fiber network.
Connecting to MBI’s Middle Mile Network
To date, Leverett has been underserved with a small number of residents having access to DSL service, while most were limited to dial-up or satellite Internet service. With the completion of the nearby Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) middle-mile fiber network, Leverett took the opportunity to build a state-of-the-art fiber last-mile network to connect to the MBI network and provide advanced broadband services to its residents. Leverett is the first to build a last-mile network in western Massachusetts to connect to the MBI.
“As middle mile networks created by the Broadband Stimulus program near completion, underserved communities throughout the country will be looking to leverage this new fiber to expand the reach of broadband in their regions,” said John Colvin, senior vice president of North America sales and marketing at Calix. “Towns like Leverett are on the forefront of this broadband effort, and are serving as an example of what is possible when communities come together for the benefit of all. By taking matters into their own hands, Leverett will transform from an underserved town into a gigabit community — one of the most connected in the country — with the capability to take full advantage of the emerging broadband applications of the future.”
