RST Fiber Activates America’s First “Gigabit State” in North Carolina

SHELBY, NC – RST Fiber, which develops and manages fiber optic networks in communities in the southeastern U.S, announced that it has activated its 3,100-mile underground fiber network across North Carolina. It is the first privately owned company in the U.S. to introduce and activate a 100-gigabit backbone network employing carrier grade IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), a critical component for the “Internet of Everything.”

RST’s network offers up to 100 Gbps, symmetrical broadband service to businesses and homes in metropolitan and rural communities statewide, many that have little or no access to even basic broadband connections. In addition to broadband, services will include uncompressed 4K television; VoIP; online education; telemedicine; HD video security/surveillance; a la carte movies and programming; smart grid connectivity/transport; and countless emerging new technologies. Video and television services are expected to launch by the end of the second quarter of 2014.

Full Greenfield Underground Network
The company’s “core-out”, underground, state-of-the-art IPv6 fiber network offers broadband speeds that are unavailable from a majority of providers in the state. The network operates using significantly less energy than other networks and is completely “greenfield.” Because RST’s fiber is almost entirely underground, maintenance requirements and outages – especially those from extreme weather conditions – are significantly reduced. This enables RST to deliver end-to-end, premium-quality fiber services at lower cost and with greater reliability.

Statewide Fiber Backbone
“The network we have built is what Cisco CEO John Chambers describes as the ‘Internet of Everything,’” said Dan Limerick, co-founder of RST Fiber. “Our goal is to ensure that communities across the Tar Heel state and the upstate of South Carolina will have access to ultra-high-speed broadband and many other fiber-delivered services a network like this can provide, helping to level the economic and educational playing field for everyone. We firmly believe that fiber infrastructure is the future. While Google is building in metropolitan cities like Kansas City, Mo., Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah, RST has established a statewide backbone connecting the larger metro areas, in addition to reaching a large number of rural communities. We’re also deploying carrier-class, cutting-edge WiFi capable of delivering one-gigabit symmetrical wireless service network-wide.”

RST’s network is built on the Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN), which combines a variety of cutting edge infrastructure technologies including the Cisco Network Convergence System (NCS 2000). The Cisco EPN offers a massively scalable, smarter and more adaptable Internet along with countless other fiber-related services.

“The next-generation Internet offers innovative companies like RST a unique opportunity to deliver seamless, personalized services and also capitalizes on emerging Internet of Everything (IoE) market opportunities,” said Surya Panditi, senior vice president and general manager, Service Provider Networking Group, Cisco. “Using Cisco’s Evolved Programmable Network, RST can optimize service delivery in new ways while growing its business and delivering new network experiences to customers – in major metropolitan areas, as well as in rural parts of the state. RST represents the service provider network of the future and is well aligned with Cisco’s vision.”

Network Will Promote Economic Development to Fight Loss of Textile Industry
Founded in 2010 and privately funded by Cleveland County, N.C. natives Dan Limerick, Doug Brown and Randy Revels, RST’s vision is to change and improve technology opportunities throughout the Carolinas. Limerick, Brown and Revels joined forces after it became clear each had an interest in building a state-of-the-art fiber network in their home county, an area severely affected by the relocation of the textile industry and high unemployment in recent years.

“Ensuring that North Carolina has the next-generation infrastructure and fiber networks needed to carry our data traffic and provide broadband services to our businesses, community institutions and citizens is critical,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker. “We appreciate RST Global’s investment in North Carolina and look forward to working with them to continue to push broadband deployment and growth, allowing for increased opportunities in economic development, education and efficiency for our state.”

RST Fiber’s clients currently include data centers, municipalities, healthcare organizations, schools and universities, businesses and homes.