Gigabit services spur economic growth and urban development as
communities transform into competitive powerhouses for tomorrow’s
data-driven economy
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 11, 2015--
ADTRAN®,
Inc., (NASDAQ: ADTN), a leading provider of next-generation
networking solutions, announced it has enabled Gigabit broadband
services to over 200 communities as part of its Enabling Communities,
Connecting Lives program. As the first broadband infrastructure
supplier to hit this milestone, ADTRAN is helping service providers,
cable operators, municipalities and rural carriers to deploy the
ultra-fast broadband services that are changing the game for community
revitalization across the country.
“When we launched our Enabling Communities, Connecting Lives
program a little over a year ago, we envisioned every community
regardless of size could realize the transformative benefits of Gigabit
broadband. Thanks to the momentum of our customers, we are far
surpassing our initial goals and the vision is becoming a reality, with
more than 200 communities now reaping the benefits of Gigabit services,”
said Jay Wilson, senior vice president of technology and strategy,
ADTRAN. “Our service provider customers are seeing a sizeable impact to
their business as Gigabit broadband is providing a ‘halo effect’ in
helping them win and keep new customers. All of these factors combined
are creating a new foundation for today’s digital economy.”
Recent surveys have shown the momentum is just beginning. NTCA-
The Rural Broadband Association released a survey stating 85 percent
of responding service providers indicate they have long-term fiber
deployment strategies. In the past 12 months, ADTRAN has witnessed
firsthand the positive impact communities have enjoyed from these
deployments. Some key benefits include:
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Economic Development: The availability of Gigabit throughout
towns and cities has proven to attract new businesses to the area,
stimulating local economies. According to a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH)
Council study,
communities with widely available Gigabit broadband access experience
a 1.1 percent higher per capita GDP than areas without Gigabit. Cities
in Mississippi
are seeing this up close as they transform from sleepy college towns
to hubs for future business investment, attracting global companies to
support thousands of local jobs.
-
Education: Gigabit broadband is providing school districts with
the necessary bandwidth to ensure online education for more
personalized learning experiences as well as maximizing the benefit of
E-rate funding projects. Schools throughout 15 Ohio
districts are using Gigabit service to meet local educational mandates
while transitioning from a structured to individualized learning
experience in the classroom. The technology is bringing networks
together, allowing schools, administrators, teacher and students to
communicate in new, innovative ways while learning at their own pace.
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Real Estate: A recent FTTH Council study
proclaims that communities with access to fiber-delivered Internet
can increase home values by up to 3.1 percent, or nearly $5,500 on a
median priced home of $175,000. According to real estate agents in Oregon,
this holds true as they are seeing a rise in Gigabit popularity in
neighborhood criteria. Agents have reported an increase in homebuyers
looking for properties specifically in areas deploying Gigabit, or
expecting to in the near future.
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Telecommuting: Gigabit is opening the doors for increased work
flexibility by allowing employees to work remotely. Residents located
just outside the tech hub of Silicon
Valley are oftentimes experiencing faster speeds at home vs. their
workplace. As a result, telecommuters are able to enjoy a more
affordable, higher quality of life without having to give up big city
jobs. All the time saved in not commuting also translates to a lower
carbon footprint.
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Agriculture: The delivery of Gigabit speeds is helping
streamline crucial agriculture processes as well as enable new
services. In Indiana,
a dairy farm is using Gigabit broadband to remotely monitor milk
production and processing. The farm is also delivering remote and
on-site educational experiences by supporting connected, interactive
learning centers for children.
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Healthcare: Hospitals and healthcare offices are deploying
Gigabit broadband as they look to boost the quality of patient care.
For those with ultra-fast broadband speeds, doctors, specialists and
nurses are able to work efficiently with colleagues on-site and
remotely. In Tennessee,
doctors are able to provide care that previously wasn’t available,
with a local knee surgeon using Gigabit broadband to assist with 3D
printing for developing patient-specific knee replacements.
“Communities around the globe – from dense urban to sparse rural and
everywhere in between – have determined that affordable high-speed
broadband is no longer a nicety, but a requirement for economic
prosperity and quality of life,” said Greg Whelan, Principal, Greywale
Insights. “Deploying fiber rich Gigabit broadband is the logical way to
go. It gives the network operator great flexibility to serve business
and residences with a range of cost-effective options. We know that when
broadband rates increase the global innovation engine creates new
compelling applications that drive economic development and improve our
lives.”
ADTRAN’s Enabling
Communities, Connecting Lives program showcases how innovative
technologies are being used in cities, towns and communities across the
country to support economic growth and urban development. These
communities are using ADTRAN’s world-class Wi-Fi and fiber-based Gigabit
broadband along with Cloud connectivity solutions to reinvigorate
downtown business and residential districts, connect classrooms with
other learning centers around the world, and help attract new companies
seeking to relocate out of crowded urban centers.
About ADTRAN
ADTRAN, Inc. is a leading global provider of networking and
communications equipment. ADTRAN’s products enable voice, data, video
and Internet communications across a variety of network infrastructures.
ADTRAN solutions are currently in use by service providers, private
enterprises, government organizations, and millions of individual users
worldwide. For more information, please visit www.adtran.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150811005163/en/
Source: ADTRAN, Inc.
Connect2 Communications for ADTRAN
Ashley Baster, 919-435-9112
ashley@connect2comm.com