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THE
INCOMPAS SHOW
I
APRIL 3 - 5, 2017
www.bekabusinessmedia.comDAY
2
FirstLight Enables Wireless Carrier’s Small Cell
Expansion in Tier 2 and 3 Markets
F
irstLight, a fiber-optic bandwidth infra-
structure services provider operating in
the Northeast, has announced a long-
term dark-fiber contract with a major wireless
carrier for the implementation of a new metro-
politan CRAN ring.
The ring will link Manchester, N.H.; Bidd-
eford, Maine; and Burlington, Vt. The fiber
networks are purpose-built to support addi-
tional small-cell deployment capabilities across
smaller Tier 2 and 3 markets throughout this
region. In addition, FirstLight’s solutions are
now available to enterprise customers along
these newly built routes.
Small-cell technology is rapidly advancing
as wireless carriers seek efficient solutions that
support advanced network management and
increased network capacity. ABI Research esti-
mates a 43 percent compound annual growth
rate for small-cell technology as more opera-
tors seek to make their networks considerably
more dense. Additionally, the Small Cell Forum
estimates that the overall small-cell market is
expected to reach revenues of $6.7 billion by
2020, as outdoor carrier deployments accelerate
to new, record-breaking levels. While the rural
and remote market is still in its early stages,
there is expected to be sharp growth from 8,150
units in 2014 to 87,644 units by 2020.
“Whether in the metro or rural areas,
FirstLight has continued to play a key role in
providing the underlying infrastructure necessary
to support small cell deployments, which is
critical for enabling the widespread rollout of
5G,” said Kurt Van Wagenen, president and
CEO of FirstLight. “These dark fiber networks
will assist this carrier in the introduction of additional
capabilities to their wireless subscribers.”
Up until now, the focus of many wireless
carriers has been on ensuring that the major
metropolitan markets have the necessary infra-
structure to support its subscribers. This recent
deployment demonstrates that leading wireless
carriers are now turning their attention to the Tier
2 and Tier 3 markets and building out their non-
macro site network infrastructures in order to
support the evolution to 5G for all of its customers.
“FirstLight is proud to lead the charge in
offering the best solutions in both dense metro
and smaller, Tier 2 and 3 markets,” added
Patrick Coughlin, executive vice president and
chief revenue officer for FirstLight. “As wireless
carriers seek to boost their network capacity
to keep pace with exploding customer demand
for bandwidth, they are increasingly relying on
dark fiber networks to support small cell tech-
nology, which is so crucial to meeting these
growing needs. FirstLight’s dense fiber networks
throughout the Northeast provide an ideal plat-
form for serving small cells.”
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