FTTH Communications and Optical Solutions launch switched digital video services in evermoor community

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, May 30, 2003

Optical Solutions Inc., a provider of FTTH solutions, announced that FTTH Communications, L.L.C., a Minnesota-based Integrated Communications Provider (ICP), has launched switched digital video (SDV) service over its FiberPath FTTH network in Evermoor, a master planned community in Rosemount, Minnesota. The Evermoor community began receiving carrier class voice and high-speed data services via its FiberPath fiber-to-the-home network in 2001. Now with the addition of SDV, residents can take advantage of a full menu of digital video and video entertainment. Residents are offered a choice in entertainment services at Evermoor, so they aren't limited by what a local cable television company would traditionally provide.

FTTH Communications calls its service offering LightBlast, and is expanding its broadband service to other communities in the Twin Cities, including Towne Lakes in Albertville and Victor Gardens in Hugo. In all of its community deployments, FTTH Communications is providing its residents voice, video and data all over one platform, with one bill to pay and one number to call for local, personalized service. The solution at Evermoor starts with Optical Solutions' FiberPath, a field-proven FTTH system based on the highly economical passive optical network (PON) platform. A FiberDrive unit installed at Evermoor's central office (CO) acquires and converges voice, video and data signals for distribution through the PON. At the customer premise, a FiberPoint node converts the signals to standard powering systems for home or office telephones, computers and televisions.

Myrio Corporation and VideoTele.com, a division of Tut Systems complete this end-to-end solution for, delivering and managing advanced video services at Evermoor. At the central office, VideoTele.com's Astria digital head end platform receives, processes and distributes entertainment-quality digital video and audio over the network. Myrio provides the middleware (software) that helps homeowners navigate exciting entertainment options, such as unlimited digital TV line-ups, interactive guides, digital music and more.