Circle Fiber Picks Nokia to deliver 10 Gigabit broadband to Missouri

Circle Fiber, a new operating unit of Big River Communications, has selected Nokia to build a fiber-to-the-premise network in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri to connect homes, businesses, farms, schools, hospitals, and government agencies.

Utilizing funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Broadband ReConnect Program, Circle Fiber is building a fiber access network in unserved and underserved areas in Missouri. The provider is partnering with Nokia to deploy Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) and next generation XGS-PON fiber access technologies which deliver up to 10Gb/s speeds.

Building on its successful partnership for Fixed Wireless Access LTE deployment, Nokia and Circle Fiber will now deploy a state-of-the-art fiber network that meets the growing broadband demands of today, and is ready for the future. The Nokia solution, based on its Lightspan FX series, is ready for the evolution to 25Gb/s, enabling Circle Fiber to future-proof its network investment. Nokia’s solution also enables a smooth transition to virtualized access-network control and management.

The high-capacity fiber-to-the-premise network will be complemented by Nokia’s Wi-Fi Mesh solution ensuring high-speed broadband in all corners of the premises, a network that is easy to manage and which is able to automatically and autonomously solve issues in case of interference.

Chris Simmons, President of Circle Fiber, said: “Your internet connection is only as good as your weakest link and it doesn’t make sense to deliver high-speed internet connection to a Wireless router that is not capable of taking advantage of the higher speeds. Nokia’s broadband solution complemented by its Wi-Fi Mesh technology delivers seamless coverage and an amazing streaming and internet experience to everyone in all areas of the home or office.

“The Circle Fiber team lives in these communities, and we are committed to providing the fiber infrastructure and broadband services that will help the people and businesses in the area thrive. Nokia has the right mix of technology, services, and desire to better our communities that aligns with our corporate values to bridge the digital divide for everyone in the region that we serve. We already had previous experience working with the Nokia team on our wireless deployment, and they are our true partners on this journey.”

Dwain Hahs, Mayor, Jackson, Missouri, said: “Getting access to high-speed broadband internet has been a challenge for the people who live and work in rural Southern Missouri. The pandemic has further revealed that broadband is critical to enabling remote learning, working from home, telehealth and more. Circle Fiber and Nokia are coming through for our citizens by deploying a fiber-to-the-premise network that will bring value for our communities for many years to come.

Sandra Motley, President, Fixed Networks Division at Nokia, said: “Broadband connectivity is no longer a convenience, it is a necessity. Seven out of 10 homes in the U.S with fiber connections use Nokia technology and we are proud to be working with Circle Fiber to extend this reach to another 125,000 homes and business premises. Our leading gigabit broadband solution will deliver 10Gb/s today, and is future proofed for 25G as needs evolve.”