Press Release
Franklin Telephone Company Moves to Occam BLC 6000 to Deliver Triple Play Services
Telco Delivering Triple Play Services to Subscribers in Rural Mississippi
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Apr. 18, 2006 - Occam Networks Inc. (OTCBB: OCNW), a supplier of innovative Ethernet- and IP-based loop carrier equipment to telecommunications companies worldwide, today announced that Franklin Telephone Company, Inc. has deployed the company's Occam BLC 6000T System to deliver Triple Play services to its nearly nine thousand subscribers in Mississippi. Franklin Telephone began deploying the Ethernet- and IP-based broadband loop carrier (BLC) in November 2005 and is already delivering video, voice and high-speed data via the Occam BLC to more than 600 subscribers."We selected Occam because we were confident that they could deliver what they promised, and we have not been disappointed" said Harold Dillon, general manager of Franklin Telephone. "We were also very impressed with per port cost of the BLC 6000. We know of no other product that can deliver such a high level of functionality for such a reasonable per port cost."
Franklin Telephone has ten exchanges and has begun changing to soft switches, which also allows for easy incorporation of the BLC6000 into their network by GR-303 and/or IP. The telco began delivering Triple Play services to its subscribers by deploying DSLAMs to deliver data and video and splitting the voice into the mix using its old class five switches. However, Franklin wanted to deliver all three services - video, data and voice - from a single piece of equipment. "With our previous DSLAM we were only able to deliver 'double play' services, and it was important to us to be able to deliver POTS as well," said Dillon.
Franklin plans on replacing approximately 60-70 DLC remote sites with the Occam BLC, beginning with those that are fiber fed. The telco hopes to deliver Triple Play services to 70 per cent of its subscriber base over the next two years.
"We evaluated a lot of products, but we knew we had made the right choice during the installation process," Dillon said. "It went very smoothly with only a few minor glitches, which the Occam team addressed promptly. We were very impressed with how quickly we were able to complete the installation and begin turning up service."
Franklin's recent experience with Hurricane Katrina made the Emergency Standalone capability of the BLC 6000 a very important feature for the telco. The telco knows first hand the importance of providing its subscribers with basic emergency service when disasters occur.
"Occam realized the importance of creating a simpler access network when we developed the Occam Broadband Loop Carrier," said Russ Sharer, vice president of sales and marketing for Occam. "The product's ability to deliver a full range of high-bandwidth services from a single platform continues to be a major factor in the decision making process of our customers. We are extremely pleased that we can help service providers such as Franklin become more competitive by building simpler, more efficient and more cost-effective networks."
About Franklin Telephone Company, Inc.
Founded in 1959, Franklin Telephone Company, Inc. offers local, long distance, Centrex, ISDN, DSL and video services to the residents of 19 counties in Mississippi. The company provides services over approximately 457 miles of fiber optic cable within its 10 exchange areas. Franklin Telephone has its headquarters in Meadville, Ms., and it has additional offices in New Augusta and Bude, Ms. Visit www.franklintelephone.com for more information.
About Occam Networks Inc.
Occam Networks Inc. develops and markets innovative Broadband Loop Carrier networking equipment that enable telephone companies to deliver voice, data and video services. Based on Ethernet and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies, Occam's equipment allows telecommunications service providers to profitably deliver traditional phone services, as well as advanced voice-over-IP, residential and business broadband, and digital television services through a single, all-packet access network. Occam is headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif. Additional information can be found at www.occamnetworks.com.
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Contact:
Spencer Parkinson
Connect Public Relations
1-801-373-7888
spencerp@connectpr.com
DSLAM is Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer.
Occam Networks and Occam BLC 6000 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Occam Networks Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
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