Poka Lambro Taps Ribbon to Upgrade Optical Network

Ribbon Communications Inc., and ECI Telecom Group Ltd., a global provider of real time communications software and network solutions to service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure sectors, has been chosen by Poka Lambro Telephone Co-operative in Texas to upgrade its fiber optic and high-speed internet infrastructure.

Poka Lambro needed to upgrade its network to meet the increasing demands for its advanced services and to augment the bandwidth available to its customers. It sought to modernize its infrastructure, not only to ensure that services could be delivered reliably and affordably, but also to give it the ability to dynamically manage its network and quickly respond to changes in network and bandwidth demands.

A well-established provider of local telephone services, competitive long distance connectivity and high-speed internet across the Texas Panhandle, Poka Lambro has been reliably serving its rural, agriculturally rich communities for over 70 years. Today it delivers these services, along with security solutions and medical emergency alert systems, to residents and businesses across 4,200 square miles of Western Texas, thereby providing customers with advanced connectivity and improved safety in their homes.

"Western Texas is home to some of the strongest agri-business in the US, and its communities require consistent, reliable connectivity," said Mike Jarret, Vice President of Outside Operations at Poka Lambro. "With Ribbon-ECI's optical technologies and remote network management tools, we can ensure our customers experience unwavering connectivity while reducing our truck rolls across the region. Without a doubt, we feel equipped to meet the demands of our customers and deliver exceptional service both today and well into the future."

For this business-critical network upgrade, Poka Lambro selected solutions from Ribbon-ECI's Apollo optical portfolio that can be deployed over its existing XDM network.

The new infrastructure included the Apollo 9603 and 9608 next generation transponders, which will enable Poka Lambro to deliver advanced 100G network speeds.

Moreover, because both the Apollo and XDM platforms share the LightSOFT® Network Management System, Poka Lambro is expected to maximize its existing network investment and achieve significant savings in both capital and operational expenditure. Poka Lambro can now deliver its range of services on-demand with simple, remote network provisioning and reduce its reliance on in-field commissioning of services.

"After upgrading Poka Lambro's optical network in 2011, Ribbon-ECI is proud to work with Poka Lambro once again to deliver modern, future-ready networking tools that allow it to meet the service needs of rural customers, while quickly and dynamically responding to the shifting bandwidth demands of the local agri-business," said Kevin Driscoll, head of the Ribbon-ECI North American packet-optical team. "Service providers across North America, like Poka Lambro, are looking to modernize their networks practically and economically and we've designed our portfolio of modular, feature-rich and intuitive networking solutions to meet these needs."