Motorola Inks Deal To Provide Fiber-To-Premises Gear For Verizon Network

Motorola Inc. has signed a five-year contract with Verizon Communications Inc. to supply equipment for the telco's next-generation fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks.

The monetary value of the deal was not made public, but under it, Motorola will provide central office and customer premises equipment, including the AXS2200 OLT multi-protocol optical line terminals, residential and business optical network terminals and video-optimized optical amplifiers. The contract follows another announced last October in which Motorola agreed to provide Verizon with head-end technology, digital set-tops and integration services to build the FTTP's video network infrastructure.

"Motorola's technology will help us expand our strategic footprint in the entertainment services market and further enhance our ability to deliver voice, data and video services over fiber to our customers," Verizon Network Services Group president Paul Lacouture said in a statement. "Motorola's ability to scale to match Verizon's FTTP deployment plans was a key factor in our selection of its next-generation FTTP technologies."

Verizon began the deployment of its all-fiber FTTP network in 2004, replacing copper network connections to residential and business subscribers. Designed to provide 30 Mb/s broadband and deliver advanced content like digital video over Verizon's FiOS service, the FTTP already passes more than 1 million homes and businesses in 14 states. Verizon plans to launch a digital television service over the network later this year.