Prairie Grove Telephone Company Taps Clearfield for Arkansas FTTH Deployment
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prairie Grove Telephone Company (PGTelco) has chosen Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) as its fiber management supplier for its Fiber to the Home (FTTH) deployment. PGTelco is a family-owned and operated telephone company in the state of Arkansas that is rolling out FTTH to portions of its 8500 customers in five exchanges within Northwest Arkansas.
The project originated as a greenfield installation with the construction of new subdivisions in 2007. PGTelco chose Clearfield's FieldSmart Fiber Scalability Center (FSC) in an 864-port cross-connect configuration. Key to the success of the project has been Clearfield's Clearview Cassette, which is the building block upon which all Clearfield fiber management solutions are designed. Because housing developments are built over time, the Clearview Cassette allows PGTelco to add users in 12-port increments, economically adjusting the number of connections as more neighborhoods are completed. PGTelco Outside Plant Manager Shane Bell explains, "This solution allows us to dictate how much feeder and distribution we need for our active fiber deployment and we can scale as we grow. And, since you do not have to purchase a fully-populated unit initially, the pricing is better than competitors."
That scalability is especially important because the company is also exploring the possibility of updating brownfield structures in older areas of the communities it serves.
Pricing and scalability were not the only attractions. Bell also acknowledged the compactness and aesthetics of the FieldSmart FSC. "The footprint is so small, it's hard to believe that you can get 864 ports in that small of a cabinet. I was really surprised how great it looks."
Clearfield's customer service also drew high praise. "We get great customer support from Clearfield. Their people listen to what I have to say and address my needs immediately. You don't get that kind of attention from many companies these days."
Local residents who will benefit from FTTH can expect Voice over IP and superior internet services. IPTV may also be coming to PGTelco's customers soon.
About Prairie Grove Telephone Company
The Prairie Grove
Telephone Company is family-owned and operated, and has been since its
incorporation in 1906. The company has grown steadily ever since,
keeping up with the growth of West Washington County.
About Clearfield, Inc.
Clearfield, Inc. designs and
manufactures the WaveSmart platform of powered optical signal products,
including the WaveSmart PowerNode 1550 EDFA, and the FieldSmart Fiber
Management Platform, which includes its latest generation FieldSmart
Fiber Distribution System (FDS), FieldSmart Fiber Scalability Center
(FSC) and FieldSmart Fiber Delivery Point (FDP) series. The FDS, FSC and
FDP product lines support a wide range of panel configurations,
densities, connectors and adapter options, and are offered alongside an
assortment of passive optical components. Clearfield provides a complete
line of fiber and copper assemblies for inside plant, outside plant and
access networks. Clearfield is a public company, traded on NASDAQ: CLFD.
More information about Clearfield, Inc., its products and its people can be found at www.ClearfieldConnection.com.
Source: Clearfield, Inc.
Released June 25, 2009