Alcatel-Lucent and Bolt Fiber Optic Services bring 1 Gigabit ultra-broadband network to northeastern Oklahoma

Bolt Fiber Optic Services, the fiber-to-the-home subsidiary of Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative has selected Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) to supply an end-to-end triple-play solution for delivering up to 1 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) broadband connectivity as well as voice over third-party VoIP service and television services to communities in rural northeastern Oklahoma.

Powered by Alcatel-Lucent’s gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology, Bolt Fiber Optic Services’ new network will be around 100 times faster than the average connection speed in the United States.  Bolt’s 30,000 cooperative members will thus join an elite group of communities around the world with gigabit ultra-broadband access.

Bolt’s goal is to create an infrastructure that will support improved education, economic development, telemedicine opportunities and faster business services in order to improve the quality of life as well as attract and keep jobs in their community. Alcatel-Lucent’s triple-play solution will also enable Bolt to offer members of the cooperative linear television, video on demand and pay-per-view TV services.

Key Facts:

• The service area of Bolt’s new network will encompass rural communities, tribal areas and a lake resort area.
• The 1 gigabit service will begin in the fourth quarter of 2014 and is scheduled for completion by April, 2017.
• Alcatel-Lucent is providing its 7360 Intelligent Services Access Manager, 5520 Access Management System, Triple Play Express and Video Systems Integration solutions.
• Alcatel-Lucent is also the systems integrator for the project, providing end-to-end architecture, design, engineering and installation services and 3^rd party solutions for the headend, OSS/BSS, fiber mapping, and Mediaroom middleware and software for IPTV services.
• Alcatel-Lucent’s GPON solution enables utilities and municipalities to quickly and efficiently reach Gigabit targets. Its unmatched capacity eliminates the need for additional investments when expanding services over time. Alcatel-Lucent’s GPON solution already powers gigabit communities worldwide, including EPB Chattanooga, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, Hong Kong Broadband Network, and ZON Multimedia in Portugal.

Quotes:

Sheila Allgood of Bolt said: “The legacy of the rural electric cooperatives is that of bringing vital utilities to underserved communities. In the 20^th century the need was for electricity and today the need is for high-speed, high-capacity broadband. Providing access to ultra-broadband will attract jobs and investment, improve lives through services like telemedicine and e-learning, and allow families to stay in the communities they love.  When we first started looking at the scope of the ultra-broadband project we knew we would need to rely upon expertise that we did not have. Fortunately for us, Alcatel-Lucent demonstrated both their ability and also a strong desire to help bring ultra-broadband to north-eastern Oklahoma.”

Danny Rollins, Vice President of National Accounts Sales for Alcatel-Lucent, said: “Alcatel-Lucent has a long history of partnering with municipalities, utility companies and communities to help connect the unconnected. In this case, Bolt took the bold initiative of bringing 1 gigabit ultra-broadband to their cooperative members. Thanks in part to Rural Utility Service funding and support, this community will be able to take advantage of Bolt’s capacity and deploy ultra-broadband much more cost effectively.”

Additional links:

• Bolt Fiber Optic Services video — http://bit.ly/1jeeUJe