ADTRAN Partners With iPhotonix for Third-Party ONTs

RICHARDSON, TX - To expand the choices of customer-premises equipment for its fiber-to-the-home solutions, FTTH equipment vendor ADTRAN is partnering with third-party optical network terminal (ONT) vendor iPhotonix. By testing and certifying third-party equipment, ADTRAN can complement its portfolio without increasing costs to customers or sacrificing quality or technology. KGP Logistics is supplying the total end-to-end bundled solution.

Working with iPhotonix, which offers a broad independent family of ONTs, ADTRAN developed a comprehensive solution that uses ADTRAN OLTs and existing ONTs, iPhotonix ONTs and the ADTRAN Operational Environment to provide a complete, fully managed solution.

“GPON has always been a closed system,” says Jeff Mulqueen, vice president of sales and business
development, iPhotonix. “That business model has been challenged because no one offers every ONT. Operators' requirements can be unique, and consumption behavior often changes faster than
development cycles can accommodate.”

Mulqueen explains that the traditional OEM solution is challenging for ONT vendors. “By the time you take the unit and price it so that everyone can get a share of margin, the cost is simply too high,” he says. “ADTRAN has taken a different approach. ADTRAN took on the task of certifying and supporting complete interoperability with its OLT and management system. Yet, rather than labeling the iPhotonix ONT as an ADTRAN device, adding needless costs to the service provider, these certified ONTs can be purchased directly from distribution."

Service Providers Welcome Solution
This solution is catching the attention of Tier 2 and Tier 3 service providers. “This approach is drastically different from anything we have seen in the past,” says George O’Neal, vice president of network services for GVTC, an FTTH operator in Texas. “Fully managed third-party ONT integration will allow service providers to significantly lower the cost of FTTH deployment, providing an improved business case for further service expansion.”

“Our approach is making this a win-win for everyone involved,” says Craig Goodwin, product manager, FTTH, ADTRAN Carrier Networks Division. “This solution offers service providers a robust management umbrella providing full end-to-end management, including integration with billing and autoprovisioning systems, at a price point they can afford. iPhotonix gains greater reach through sales and distribution, and ADTRAN further expands its FTTH market share.”

Mulqueen adds, “Certification is what makes this solution work. ADTRAN has made the investment to certify full interoperability with our ONT solutions. This is the best of both worlds for the service
provider; they get the features they need from companies they trust with industry-leading service and support – all at an affordable price point.”