Grain Connect Taps DZS to Expand Gigabit-Speed Fiber Network Throughout the U.K.

Plano, Texas – DZS is helping Grain Connect (Grain) expand its hyper-fast nationwide fiber broadband network—one of the fastest and most advanced in the UK. By leveraging a point-to-point Ethernet architecture, Grain claims it not only delivers speeds up to 25 times faster than the average of U.K. broadband downstream and upstream data rates, but increasingly valued symmetrical services with no drop in performance at peak times. 

“As we look to rapidly grow our network, DZS fiber access technology has offered our residential customers superior density and exceptional reliability, which means less downtime and lower maintenance costs,” said Rich Robinson, managing director at Grain. “Whether we are going into new or existing communities, we have been able to quickly and cost effectively deliver ‘true fiber’ and symmetrical gigabit broadband – ensuring high customer satisfaction. This is even more important during the pandemic as households demand even higher levels of performance and reliability in the face of unprecedented network traffic volume driven by consumers who now work, attend school, play games and watch movies simultaneously from home.”

Grain is leveraging point-to-point symmetrical services as a differentiator, as well as utilizing a variety of DZS active Ethernet systems that can support from 24 to over 500 gigabit-capable subscribers on a single system. Featuring the U.K.’s premier symmetrical service with superfast “ping” times for gamers, Grain brings its service bundles to underserved communities, new housing developments, buildings, and individual homes throughout the country. With only 15 percent of the U.K. able to benefit from direct fiber connectivity today, Grain is just beginning to tap the region’s potential market opportunity.

“Grain Connect is proving to be one of the most promising alternative providers in the U.K. market – building symmetrical fiber broadband networks across the country and emerging as a technology leader,” said Charlie Vogt, President and CEO at DZS. “Today, they are distinguishing themselves as symmetrical gigabit service leaders, but they also see symmetrical 10 gigabit services clearly on the horizon and stand ready to make the shift as the market demands. We congratulate Grain on their success to date, and look forward helping them continue to innovative point-to-point fiber network, which is yielding best-in-market speed tests and supporting an enviable nationwide growth trajectory.”