North Alabama Electric Picks ADTRAN for FTTH Deployment

North Alabama Electric Cooperative is turning to ADTRAN for help with a fiber-to-the-home project made possible by the nations broadband stimulus program.

NAEC will take advantage of a whole host of ADTRAN solutions, including the companys flagship product the Total Access 5000 Multi-Service Access and Aggregation Platform (MSAP) its Total Access 300 Series ONTs and a full suite of NetVanta routers and switches.

ADTRAN says the solutions will combine broadband and smart-grid architectures to deliver both residential and business services to unserved and underserved areas in northern Alabama. The GPON and Active Ethernet FTTH capabilities of the Total Access 5000 platform will play critical roles in the deployment considering the diverse geography of northern Alabamas rural areas, the company said.

Electric utility subscribers will be able to move from time-of-day rate models to demand-response rate models. Energy consumption can be monitored and adjusted in real time.

North Alabama Electric Cooperatives broadband project will help it reach thousands of residents and businesses in the region, including the Bellefonte Nuclear facility. The fiber infrastructure will allow the utility company to better communicate with the Tennessee Valley Authority, providing near real-time meter readings that will enable demand-response for power generation.

North Alabama says it selected the Total Access 5000 because it provides the flexibility and scalability to configure and provision advanced triple-play services from a single platform.