Calix E7 Selected by Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative for Regional GPON Initiative

Cooperative to bring advanced broadband services to over 9500 homes and businesses

PETALUMA, Calif. — Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX) today announced that Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) of Walterboro, SC is moving “Fiber Forward” in its network, deploying the Calix E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and a variety of Calix 700GX optical network terminals (ONTs) to deliver advanced broadband services over fiber to residences, businesses, and cell towers across its two county region. Upgrading its entire network infrastructure from copper- to fiber-based services, PRTC will use gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology to deliver some of the most advanced broadband services in North America, including a state-of-the-art IPTV experience, ultra high-speed data services capable of up to one gigabit per second (Gbps) to the home or business, and feature-rich and reliable voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) services. PRTC also plans to widely use GPON for mobile backhaul, facilitating the future delivery of advanced mobile services in the region. In total, over 9500 homes, 150 businesses, and a myriad of cell towers in the region will benefit from this seven year phased initiative.

“As we looked to the future of broadband demands in the communities that we serve, it was clear that we needed to pull ‘Fiber Forward’ throughout our network and replace our copper infrastructure with state-of-the-art fiber access technology,” said Tony Stout, plant operations manager at PRTC. “We see Calix as the clear leader in fiber access technology and deployments, and the modular E7 and broad portfolio of Calix optical network terminals (ONTs) as well-suited for the diverse service requirements of our community. The real winners will be the residents and businesses of Colleton and Bamberg counties, who richly deserve a premium service experience as good as any big city in the country, and a flexible fiber access infrastructure capable of continuing to meet their emerging demands far, far into the future.”

In the Calix E7, PRTC is choosing an all-Ethernet, environmentally hardened, high capacity fiber access platform condensed into a highly flexible, small form factor. Only one rack unit (RU) high, PRTC can deploy the E7 in hard-to-reach places, retrofit it into existing cabinets, or instead deploy multiple E7s modularly as a virtual, highly customizable chassis managed as a single Internet protocol (IP) address. PRTC will deploy the E7s in combination with over 30 available Calix 700GX and 700GE ONT models optimized for a wide variety of residential, business, and mobile backhaul applications. These combinations allow PRTC to match the “right” solution to each deployment scenario – saving time and money while delighting its cooperative members.

“In pulling ‘Fiber Forward’ throughout its entire network and leveraging powerful Calix GPON solutions, PRTC is putting Colleton and Bamberg Counties on the map as one of the most connected areas in North America, with advanced broadband services available superior to those offered in most of America’s largest cities,” said John Colvin, vice president of field operations at Calix. “More important, however, PRTC is making a bold strategic investment in the future of the region by putting in place an infrastructure that we believe can adapt and scale to meet the service demands of the next generation of broadband services for local residences and businesses. We are proud to have been chosen by PRTC to assist with this transformational initiative, and look forward to working with them to ensure that their entire membership reaps the benefits a world-class fiber access network infrastructure.”