ADC announced that West Central Telephone Association in Sebeka, Minnesota, will deploy ADC's OmniReach(TM) FTTX Solutions to support its all-fiber network infrastructure.

By converting entirely to fiber-optic cables and by putting every customer within 12,000 feet of one its 88 digital loop carriers, West Central Telephone is readying its 602-square-mile service area in rural Minnesota for high-tech jobs in the digital economy. West Central Telephone provides long-distance, Internet, and cable TV to its customers, in addition to local phone service. The rural telecommunications cooperative also provides interactive TV for area schools.

"Our investment in a fiber infrastructure, including ADC OmniReach FTTX solutions, allows us to offer our customers state-of-the-art technology," said Anthony Mayer, general manager for West Central Telephone. "As a result, we've recruited new businesses to this part of Minnesota that would otherwise not have been attracted to this rural area. Our investment in fiber is what allows us to offer cutting-edge communications technology and positions us for future economic growth."

West Central Telephone's FTTX deployment includes ADC OmniReach Fiber Distribution Terminals for centralization of splitters in the field. This outside plant cabinet is designed specifically for FTTX applications, with features that directly impact the reliability, functionality, and operational cost of the network, including 1X32 splitters with strain relief for the output pigtails and connectorization and splicing options of the input fiber.

"As a global company with its world headquarters in Minnesota, ADC is proud to work with West Central Telephone and other rural cooperatives in promoting economic development for their communities with the installation of fiber infrastructures," said Pat O'Brien, president of the Global Connectivity Business Unit for ADC. "Minnesota's telecommunications companies and cooperatives with the foresight to install fiber in their communities do so as a way to stay viable in the new information-based economy. Our FTTX solutions are the perfect fit for rural telcos who want to make an investment in their futures and ensure that their networks can efficiently scale to support new telecommunication services vital to community development and long-term economic viability."

It is estimated that $1.5-3.5 billion will be spent annually by telecommunications service providers during the next five years as FTTX networks are deployed in the United States. New FTTX projects initiated by carriers and municipalities have increased by more than 100 percent since 2000.