ClearFiber Leverages DZS to Become First 10 Gig Service Provider in West Virginia

A nearly $2 million USDA Community Connect Grant in 2019 kickstarted delivery of gigabit services to over 2300 homes and laid foundation for today’s XGS-PON upgrade

DASAN Zhone Solutions, Inc. (NSDQ: DZSI or “DZS”), a leading enabler of the emerging hyper-connected, hyper-broadband world, is proud to announce that fiber overbuilder ClearFiber is the first service provider in the state of West Virginia to launch 10 Gbps hyper-broadband data services to residents and businesses. Serving portions of Monongalia and Marion counties just outside of Morgantown, West Virginia, Clear Fiber is leveraging a world-class fiber optic infrastructure and the multi-terabit DZS MXK-F Series Platform coupled with indoor zNID optical network terminals (ONTs) to set a new level of broadband service excellence in the state.

“We were astonished to learn that areas just outside of Morgantown – one of the nation’s great university towns and home to The University of West Virginia – were grossly underserved or sometimes unserved by sufficient broadband services,” said Chad Henson, owner of ClearFiber. “We decided in 2017 to dramatically alter the broadband landscape by jumping straight to a fiber optic infrastructure featuring gigabit services and see if the community would embrace it – and they did, with over 99% of our customers enjoying gig services today. Now, as we introduce our new 10 gig services, we will become the first service provider in the state to surpass this plateau, and we owe much of the credit to the the incredible flexibility and capacity of the DZS MXK-F platform – which has taken us here with merely the exchange of a line card.”

Selected in 2019 for a $1.96 million Community Connect Grant, ClearFiber leveraged these funds to construct a leading-edge Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) that passes 2308 homes as well as a variety of businesses and anchor institutions. Take rates have been phenomenal to date, which ClearFiber attributes to its perceived role as the technology leader in its region. While others would rest on their laurels, the company sees technology leadership as a core value, and expects its 10 gig services launch to dramatically reinforce its perception of not only a regional leader, but a world leader.

“Access to high-speed internet services makes a big difference in the lives of our customers and their communities. We are proud to partner with an innovative company like ClearFiber, and support them in their noble plans to close the digital gap,” said Mitch Fleming, SVP of Americas Sales and Global Business Development at DZS. “We applaud them on becoming the first company to deploy 10 gig services in West Virginia, and look forward to being a key partner as they continue to expand their footprint and win by enabling hyper-connectivity and hyper-broadband services in their markets.”

Source: DZS media announcement