Accelecom Picks Fujitsu to Drive Broadband Connectivity Across Kentucky

Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. is partnering with Accelecom to connect businesses throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky with a high-speed fiber broadband network.

Now city and county government offices, carriers, healthcare facilities and enterprises have a competitive edge — reliable, ultra-fast, fiber connectivity.

Accelecom leverages dark fiber from the KentuckyWired middle mile network, which connects all 120 counties and provides commercial access to 100G symmetrical data services. Kentucky is the first U.S. state to build an open-access, fiber optic network reaching every county. The Commonwealth, which in 2017 ranked 47th in the U.S. for broadband speeds and capacity, now ranks third in the nation for internet speeds.

As the network systems integrator for the project, Fujitsu was responsible for network design, deployment, testing and turn-up of the network, including specifying, sourcing and integrating multi-vendor optical equipment and software. The next-generation broadband network incorporates Fujitsu 1FINITY™ Lambda blades, as well as 1FINITY T300 transport blades, to enable the ultimate in flexible ROADM functionality, reliability and spectral efficiency. Network management is simplified with the Virtuora® Network Control software-defined network (SDN) solution. Additionally, Fujitsu provided migration and deployment services to install 21 new huts to house the optical equipment.

“With activation of the Accelecom broadband network, underserved businesses are seeing exponential increases in available internet speeds and latency problems have virtually disappeared,” said Kim Epley, chief commercial officer, Accelecom. “The robust broadband infrastructure and professional services provided by Fujitsu allowed us to build a future-ready gateway to the internet economy so that new economic development, job and education opportunities can thrive throughout Kentucky.”

“Fiber is essential for the future of Kentucky’s economic development,” said Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO for The Center of Rural Development, an organization dedicated to stimulating economic development solutions throughout Southern and Eastern Kentucky. “We value our partnership with Accelecom and our joint investments to elevate underserved communities, allowing us to attract businesses that can provide jobs and resources to provide a better way of life in Kentucky.”

“Through their steadfast commitment to democratize bandwidth and narrow the digital divide, Accelecom has propelled Kentucky into the top tier of states with statewide, high-speed broadband,” said Greg Manganello, senior vice president and head of global network services at Fujitsu. “With their investment dedication, network persistence and operational drive, Accelecom can now offer 100G access to businesses and enable service providers to provide ultra-fast internet offerings to all Kentucky residents. It has been a remarkable turnaround.”

Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. is a provider of digital transformation solutions for network operators, service providers and content providers worldwide.

Accelecom is a fast-growing broadband provider based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company provides fiber-based services over a state-of-the art optical network to support the ever-growing capacity demands of its customers.

The company’s solutions meet the modern business requirements of enterprise customers migrating to the cloud and support rural communities to enable economic development and bridge the digital divide.