WK&T Selects Calix for Largest Wireline BIP Broadband Stimulus Project

West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative (WK&T), a broadband stimulus award winner, has selected the Calix (News - Alert) B6 Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) and the 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) for its Fiber Forward initiative across western Kentucky and Tennessee.

The WK&T project will provide the region with an advanced broadband infrastructure capable of delivering service speeds of up to one gigabit per second (Gbps) to its subscribers.

"Our rural region and its subscribers will now enjoy the benefits of a world class fiber network infrastructure," said Trevor Bonnstetter (News - Alert), CEO of WK&T, in a statement.

"We are looking at this project as a strategic investment in the future of our communities, stimulating economic development and providing the residents and businesses in our service area the foundation for long-term economic growth,” said Bonnstetter.

He said that the combination of Calix's broad residential and business ONT portfolio, the existing investment in the B6 ESANs, and comprehensive network management via the Calix Management System (CMS) provides the company with an ideal solution, and gives the company confidence that it will be delivering new opportunity to the deserving subscribers of our region.

Officials with Calix said that WK&T will deploy the B6 ESANs with the company’s industry-leading ONT portfolio, including the Calix 716GE and 760GX families of ONTs, to deliver affordable, reliable and extremely fast broadband access across its targeted service area.

The project is estimated to create 160 new jobs in the region over the next three years, and significant anticipated long-term economic stimulus.

"We would like to congratulate WK&T, and the rural residents of west Kentucky and west Tennessee, for their Stimulus award and the enormous opportunity that this powerful network will provide," said John Colvin, vice president of field operations at Calix.

Colvin said that by putting in place one of the nation's most advanced communications infrastructures, WK&T will lay the foundation for future prosperity by encouraging broader broadband use among residents, and putting the region on the map as an area wired for the global communications requirements of tomorrow.

“It is an honor to have been chosen to support and enable this important initiative, and we look forward to working closely with WK&T to make this ambitious project a success," he said.

Carl Russo, president and CEO of Calix said that projects like WK&T's are proving to be transformative to the regions that they serve.

Russo said that the Broadband Stimulus program is not only providing new economic opportunities and improving the quality of life in the 'unserved' and 'underserved' communities it targets, but it is playing a major role in the strategic imperative of improving the country's global competitiveness.

He said that Calix is honored to be a key enabler of this program, having to date been chosen as the access solutions partner to in aggregate over $1 billion in broadband stimulus project awards which will bring advanced broadband infrastructure to nearly 2.3 million homes, businesses, and community institutions.

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