HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ADTRAN^®, Inc., (NASDAQ:ADTN), a leading provider of next-generation open networking solutions, today announced the launch of its Gigabit Accelerator Program. The goal of the program is to provide needed resources to service providers that will enable them to accelerate their delivery of gigabit services, especially in rural areas. This comprehensive program includes a gigabit FTTH starter kit, installation services, training, marketing support and access to gigabit community partners. With this program, communities serviced by smaller carriers, who haven’t had marketing or community outreach resources readily available, can more easily market their next-gen broadband services to subscribers and evangelize broadband benefits within the community.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to drive for expanding broadband coverage through programs such as the Connect America Fund (CAF) and Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM). Also, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have recently taken up the Gigabit Opportunity Act, a bill designed to bridge the digital divide and allow all communities to benefit from the advantages that broadband Internet brings to local economies, education and rural healthcare. The ADTRAN Gigabit Accelerator Program aligns with this vision by accelerating gigabit services rollouts through a comprehensive program targeted at A-CAM funding recipients who haven’t had the internal resources to do such.

Since 2012, a number of service providers have announced rollouts of gigabit services, and now about 18 percent of the U.S. population has access to gigabit services. That means that over 80 percent of the U.S. population still does not have access to gigabit internet, presenting service providers with a huge opportunity to expand services and gain market share. However, smaller carriers face several barriers to rolling out gigabit services, in addition to the cost of new access equipment, such as:

• The cost of installing, testing and commissioning this equipment and the technical resources to do so;
• The lack of quality marketing resources to help acquire new customers more rapidly, thus affecting their return on investment; and,
• The lack of access to broadband use-cases and industry resources that would streamline community outreach, accelerate community buy-in, lead to higher service take-rates, and reduce barriers to construction.

Previously, there has not been a one-stop source for all things gigabit. ADTRAN has now packaged its experience from the over 400 gigabit communities that have deployed ADTRAN FTTH solutions and has used this experience to create a program that enables a service provider to market, roll out, activate, and monetize broadband services, as well as promote the economic value of Gigabit services into the community.

The ADTRAN Gigabit Accelerator Program allows service providers to overcome these barriers by:

• Rolling out gigabit services faster
• Improving operational efficiencies and lowering costs
• Accelerating gigabit take-rates

"Increasingly, access to broadband is transforming communities across the globe, but resource stumbling blocks faced by our nation's telecom service providers has slowed the momentum," said Mark Ogden, director of sales, ADTRAN. "ADTRAN's expertise and deep partner relationships can help bridge this digital divide. We believe that by approaching this challenge with the concept of a startup accelerator program, we will most effectively facilitate the best solution to accelerate gigabit rollouts here in the United States and allow all communities to harness the transformative powers of broadband."

About ADTRAN

ADTRAN, Inc. is a leading global provider of networking and communications equipment. ADTRAN’s products enable voice, data, video and Internet communications across a variety of network infrastructures. ADTRAN solutions are currently in use by service providers, private enterprises, government organizations, and millions of individual users worldwide. For more information, please visit www.adtran.com.

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