Motorola to support Verizon networks

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today announced that Verizon has awarded Motorola a five-year contract to supply equipment in support of the deployment of next-generation fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Motorola’s FTTP technology will help Verizon deliver services, including broadband, video entertainment and voice services to the homes and businesses served by Verizon’s all-fibre network.

Verizon is now deploying FTTP in half the US states it serves, and has already begun to sell its FiOS broadband services over fibre.

As previously announced in October 2004, in a separate multi-year contract, Verizon selected Motorola to help build the video network infrastructure portion of FTTP, providing head-end technology, digital set-tops and integration services.

Under the contract announced today, Motorola will provide Verizon with advanced electronic equipment that will be installed in Verizon central offices, as well as at customer locations, as the company deploys FTTP.

This equipment includes high-density, multi-protocol Optical Line Terminals (Motorola AXS2200 OLT), intelligent Optical Network Terminals (Motorola residential and business ONTs) and video-optimised Optical Amplifiers (Motorola EDFAs).

In 2004, Verizon began building its new all-fibre network, which uses strands of fibre and optical electronics to replace traditional copper-wire connections and directly links homes and businesses to the Verizon network.

Verizon’s FTTP network currently passes more than one million homes and businesses across 14 of the 29 US states the company serves. Verizon plans to double its FTTP network deployment in 2005, as well as launch its first television services on its new FTTP network in the second half of the year.