PLATTEVILLE, Wis., Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink,
Inc. (NYSE: CTL), a leading broadband services provider in
the United States, today announced
that it has installed G.fast technology in Platteville, Wis., resulting in the largest
G.fast deployment in North
America. Using existing copper and internal coaxial cable
infrastructure, CenturyLink installed G.fast technology in 44
multi-dwelling units (MDUs) to provide internet speeds of up to 500
Mbps and higher to nearly 800 apartments in Platteville.
"CenturyLink's commercial G.fast deployment in Platteville, Wisconsin is the largest single
G.fast implementation in the U.S. to date, highlighting the
company's commitment to delivering ultra-broadband services –
including Gigabit access – to its customer base," said Erik M. Keith, principal analyst of broadband
networks and multiplay services at Current Analysis. "With the
ongoing evolution towards unicast, OTT streaming video services,
including 4KTV, demand for ultra-broadband connectivity continues
to escalate. To this end, CenturyLink is leveraging extensive fiber
network build-outs in conjunction with key endpoint technologies,
with G.fast providing de facto FTTH services over existing copper
access lines."
In 2015, CenturyLink deployed fiber-to-the-premises technology
to the majority of residential and business customers in
Platteville to upgrade the CenturyLink Televideo TV service to
CenturyLink® Prism® TV service. That fiber
network enhancement also enabled most residential and business
customers in Platteville access to
broadband speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. Many apartment
complexes in this area that did not have access to those faster
speeds are now able to connect to speeds up to 500 Mbps and higher,
and to Prism TV service, through this G.fast deployment.
"We saw a great opportunity to use existing copper assets in our
Platteville network to bring
ultra-fast internet speeds to customers who live in areas that
typically don't have access to these new broadband technologies
delivering higher speeds," said Aamir
Hussain, CenturyLink executive vice president and chief
technology officer. "We take a fiber-first approach when deploying
faster broadband speeds but enabling G.fast over copper
infrastructure helps us reduce costs, speed time to market and
effectively connect our customers to the power of the digital world
in areas where fiber deployment is less
feasible."
CenturyLink is evaluating other locations, beyond MDUs, where
G.fast technology can be used to give customers access to faster
speeds, such as fiber-fed multi-tenant units (MTUs) and
neighborhoods where fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) allows for G.fast to
push higher speeds over the short amount of copper into the home.
CenturyLink is utilizing other new technologies on its existing
network infrastructure to accommodate the growing broadband needs
of its customers, including the delivery of internet speeds up to
100 Mbps to nearly 1 million homes and businesses using VDSL2
vectoring.
CenturyLink is utilizing the Calix AXOS G.fast solution for its
G.fast deployment in Platteville,
with all systems and services managed via the cloud through Calix's
Compass Consumer Connect Plus software.
About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global
communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling
millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives
through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network
and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting,
and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice,
video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile
U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport
network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.
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SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.