ARMENIA BOASTS REGION’S MOST ADVANCED FIBER INTERNET SERVICE
Tuesday, February 10th, 2015
Armenia is now estimated to have the most advanced fiber-optic network
in the South Caucasus
YEREVAN–The citizens of the Republic of Armenia are enjoying what
is believed be the most advanced Fiber to the Home (FTTH) broadband
services in the South Caucasus region thanks to a fiber network built
by Ucom LLC that leverages solutions from California-based Calix, Inc.
Ucom, a 2014 Calix Innovation Award winner and fast-growing fiber
overbuilder in Armenia, continues to expand its extensive gigabit
passive optical network (GPON)-based network throughout the country.
It recently surpassed the 75,000 residential broadband subscriber
milestone in Armenia — making it the country’s largest provider of
FTTH residential wireline broadband services by revenue, and a key
infrastructure provider for the country’s public services, including
education, libraries, government offices, and other services.
Ucom, established in 2009, provides advanced wireline FTTH and wireless
broadband services that leverage its fiber access network to connect
homes and businesses in most of the country’s major cities.
Recognizing an enormous opportunity to bring a world-class fiber access
infrastructure to a country previously underserved by an aging copper
infrastructure, the company decided to go directly to GPON technology,
and put in place a gigabit-capable fiber network.
Ucom initially built the network using the Ericsson BLM 1500 and
T-Series ONTs. However, after Calix purchased Ericsson’s fiber access
assets, and subsequent platform integration work, the company has now
switched to the Calix E7-2 and E7-20 Ethernet Service Access Platforms
(ESAPs) for future services, to keep up with the ever-increasing
broadband services demand.
Today, Ucom believes it operates the largest fiber network in
Armenia and, by far, the most advanced. The company now passes over
50 percent of the homes in Armenia and is targeting continued growth
of 33 percent in 2015.
“Using the power and flexibility of the Calix technologies, Ucom
has been able to build what we believe to be the most extensive and
advanced fiber optic network in Armenia,” said Aleksandr Yesayan,
executive director, Ucom. “Our steadfast focus on creating a unique
and powerful broadband experience over wireline and wireless for
Armenians that provides the best quality service at an affordable
price has allowed us, in a few short years, to become the nation’s
largest FTTH broadband services provider. Calix has played a key
role in our success to date, and we will continue to leverage this
fiber network as we launch new Wi-Fi and LTE services — making us
the first quad-play operator in Armenia.”
With the help of Calix, Ucom’s next generation network has already
benefited schools, libraries, and other public services offices in the
region by increasing their bandwidth tenfold, facilitating activities
like teleconferencing and global learning.
Andy Lockhart, senior vice president, international sales at Calix,
said: “The broadband infrastructure in Armenia has leapt forward with
Ucom’s high quality fiber-based networks. Our E7 solutions are ideal
to provide the operational efficiencies needed without sacrificing
deployment flexibility or service functionality. This leaves service
providers like Ucom to concentrate on revenue-generating, game-changing
service delivery options. The company is already offering a wide range
of opportunities for government, education, and library services
in Armenia, creating powerful new services that now pass over half
of the homes and business in the country and changing the lives and
opportunities for the a growing proportion of Armenians.”
Ucom’s 2014 Calix Innovation Award for its leadership in Armenia
will be highlighted at the Calix booth at the FTTH Council Europe
Conference, 10-12 February 2015 at EXPO XXI in Warsaw, Poland.