Optical Solutions, a market leader in fiber to the home (FTTH) equipment and networking solutions for the local access market in the US has announced a multi-year agreement with Minneapolis based Cable System Services Inc(CSS).

The initial $1 million equipment order will be used in wide scale communications overbuilds in several identified communities across North America. CSS, a provider of cable television and high speed data services, selected Optical Solutions' FiberPath 400 system, which delivers converged voice, video and high-speed data over a single fiber optic network to homes, multi-tenant units and small businesses.

According to an official release, the alliance represents Optical Solutions' first contract with a traditional cable TV supplier. Fiber optics has the edge in providing the triple play of voice, video and data services, the release states. Optical Solutions' state-of-the-art FiberPath 400 allows service providers to deliver up to 100 Mbps data speeds, IP streaming media, hundreds of channels of digital and analog television, and multiple telephone lines. FiberPath 400 transmits these services via a passive optical network (PON), which allows the service provider maximum flexibility and cost-savings for construction and maintenance.

CSS states that to compete effectively in an overbuild environment, it is neccesary to offer premium quality services at a lower cost than the competition. The company's plan is to attract residential and business customers with a range of premium communications and entertainment services. Since 1971, CSS claims to have provided turnkey outsourced services for the cable television and telephone industries. The company has ownership interest in over 35 private cable television systems, as well as a 16,000-home planned community in Arizona.


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