Calix continues to be one of the key beneficiaries of the broadband stimulus, with yet another small regional operator, this one in Florida, set to upgrade to an optical network based on Calix equipment.
Armed with nearly $40 million in federal funds, North Florida Broadband Authority (NFBA) will deploy Calix’s B6 Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) to bring broadband services to 14 rural Florida counties and several cities in the region.
The 10 Gbps Ethernet will aggregate wireless traffic from more than 100 wireless sites and will interconnect more than 300 community institutions, including public schools, universities, libraries, health care facilities, public safety organizations and government agencies. An estimated 150,000 households and 28,400 businesses and public institutions will be passed by the network.
The NFBA broadband stimulus award totals $39.3 million in overall funds, including a $30.1 million grant and in-kind matches of $9.2 million, which includes plant engineering, materials, labor and other costs, including access equipment.
With today’s announcement, aggregate Calix vendor selections by broadband stimulus winners for “last-mile” and “middle-mile” awards now total 45 projects, representing approximately $788 million in stimulus-related grants, loans and private investment.