March 15, 2010

RCN Metro to Build Fiber Network for OpenCape

Following the NTIA's announcement that OpenCape Corporation was awarded a $32M broadband stimulus grant, RCN Metro Optical Networks, a division of RCN Corporation, has announced that it has kicked off a project to design, build and manage the network on OpenCape Corporation's behalf. (For more on the NTIA grants, click here).

The 350-mile network will span from the South Coast of Massachusetts onto Cape Cod and the Islands and will serve as the broadband backbone for this region. RCN Metro was selected in a competitive process last July to design, build and maintain this regional open access network as part of a public-private partnership.

The OpenCape project, expected to be completed in phases over three years, consists of a core fiber backbone that connects Cape Cod to two of RCN Metro's major regional network access points in Providence and Brockton, a high capacity optical transport system, a microwave radio overlay, and a regional colocation center.

The OpenCape colocation center will serve as the focal point of network operations and provide leased colocation space for public and private organizations in the region.

The OpenCape network will help the region's communities overcome the distance and technology barrier by expanding connectivity between anchor institutions.

Initial services on this network include dedicated point-to-point SONET and Ethernet from 1.5 Mbps to 10 Gbps, Switched Ethernet Services from 1.5 Mbps to 10 Gbps, Wavelength Services from 1.25 Mbps to 10 Gbps, and Internet access with the network designed to be able to support additional capabilities required to meet the future needs of the community.