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THE

INCOMPAS SHOW

I

APRIL 3 - 5, 2017

www.bekabusinessmedia.com

DAY

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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