Optical Solutions Awarded FTTP Contract From Teton Telecom.

MINNEAPOLIS -- ILEC will feature IPTV in its Triple-Play Deployment of FiberPath(R) 500 GPON 

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) market leader Optical Solutions Inc. today announced it has been selected by Teton Telecom of Driggs, Idaho, to deliver fiber-fed voice, data and digital IPTV services to several new subdivisions on the western base of the Teton mountain range.

Teton Telecom serves 4,000 access lines across a 597-square-mile service area that straddles western Wyoming and eastern Idaho. Aided by a fiber trunk partnership with Kamas, Utah-based All West Communications, Teton Telecom has access to a digital head-end signal to provide state-of-the-art IPTV services, in addition to high-speed data and voice services.

"We had the digital signal there to leverage, so it made no sense to deploy with RF-based video - especially since FiberPath's digital solution proved compatible with our existing DSL-based TV," said Teton Telecom Engineering and Outside Plant Manager Aaron Jenkins.

Prior to signing a contract with Optical Solutions, Jenkins had worked with three other FTTP equipment companies. "We struggled for a long time with incompatibility problems, poor system quality and design, complex installations, product supply shortages and a variety of other issues," Jenkins said. "We went with Optical Solutions because their system works - FiberPath has been easy to install and simple to operate, and the switched digital video capability is fine-tuned so we could get to market right away, without all the downtime we've experienced in the past."

By combining the strengths of BPON and EPON, FiberPath 500 GPON provides a superior, ITU/FSAN-compliant standard for delivering triple-play services to the home or business:

--Higher Speeds - economically expands beyond BPON speed limitation, with PON speeds at 1.2 Gbps downstream and 622 Mbps upstream

--Longer reach - easily reaches 20 km (12.5 miles) distances even with an RF video overlay.

--Superior QoS support - delivers quality voice services over ATM as well as Ethernet.

--Supports legacy TDM services - enables the comprehensive support of carrier class voice services enjoyed today.

--IP transport - recognizes progression from ATM to IP network transport and supports seamless migration to VoIP and other IP-based services such as IPTV.

Teton Telecom is currently deploying FiberPath in four new residential developments. Long-term, the carrier also plans to replace its aging copper infrastructure with direct-fiber lines.

"Teton Telecom has set itself apart in the local marketplace with its powerful pairing of FTTP and IPTV," said Keith Carlson, director of sales at Optical Solutions Inc. "Their strategy to deploy with FiberPath means customers can enjoy cutting-edge communications and video entertainment services. It also means Teton is king of the mountain among local competition with its peerless, future-proof network."

About Optical Solutions

Optical Solutions Inc. is driving the gigabit passive optical network (GPON) evolution with its FiberPath(R) 500 fiber to the premises (FTTP) solution. FiberPath 500 incorporates GPON for broadband delivery of voice, video and high-speed data directly to the home and broader community. Optical Solutions leads the market with more than 60 percent of the installed base of PON systems in North America. These systems are fully operational and generating revenue. Optical Solutions' customers are facilities-based service providers, including independent telephone companies, competitive and incumbent local exchange carriers, utilities, municipalities and housing developers. For more information, please visit: www.opticalsolutions.com