DZS and Freedom Fibre to bring high-performance fiber access to over 130,000 new TalkTalk subscribers in Northwest England

PLANO, Texas -- DZS (NASDAQ: DZSI), a global leader in broadband connectivity, mobile and optical transport, and software defined networking solutions, today announced collaboration with UK fiber network innovator Freedom Fibre to build an all-new, high-performance fiber network for nationwide telecom innovator TalkTalk, which serves over 4 million customers across the country. Already underway, the 18-month greenfield rollout will bring residential broadband services to over 130,000 subscribers in the northwest of England.

“Communities of all sizes the world over need exponentially greater bandwidth, and PON with its high performance and interoperability with existing services is the best solution for many new projects like the network that Freedom Fibre is building for TalkTalk,” said Charlie Vogt, President and CEO, DZS. “This combination of DZS technology and Freedom Fibre expertise is a win-win for TalkTalk and its residential subscribers, who will benefit from greatly improved connectivity and exceptional reliability. We applaud Freedom Fibre for its innovative, future-proof FTTx architecture that drives efficiency while enhancing quality, cost-effectiveness and value, whatever the bandwidth requirements.”

The DZS broadband access and edge access solutions form the backbone of Freedom Fibre’s large-scale GPON/XGS-PON deployment for TalkTalk:

• DZS Velocity Broadband Access solutions, such as DZS Velocity V14 multi-terabit PON optical line terminals (OLTs), offer a highly scalable, high-performance aggregation platform for future-proof FTTx services. Ease of administration and support for an extended temperature range make DZS Velocity systems ideal for use in central or remote offices.
• DZS Helix Edge Access solutions like the X-series 5302 provide full-featured yet affordable indoor XGS-PON single family unit (SFU) optical network terminals (ONTs) that delivers the full range of advanced IP voice, data and video services in a compact form factor, making it perfect for FTTH deployments demanding the utmost in reliable, high-speed data transport.

“Freedom Fibre is dedicated to driving change across the local area and beyond by working with service providers to optimize the UK’s fiber network,” said Darren Woods, CFO, Freedom Fibre. “We are proud that despite ongoing supply chain issues and other challenges that the pandemic has presented for businesses, we have, in collaboration with DZS, been able to seamlessly deliver a brand new network for TalkTalk that brings high-powered broadband access to thousands of homes. With its leading GPON and XGS-PON technology, DZS aligns perfectly with Freedom Fibre’s expertise and focus on rolling out high-performance FTTx networks with innovative architectures that deliver an optimal experience for the subscriber while saving time and costs for the operator.”

Uniquely positioned at the convergence of fixed and wireless networks with its 5G mobile edge transport, broadband connectivity and software-defined network solutions, DZS offers its customers and ecosystem partners complete and fully tested best-in-class solutions from one trusted source, along with the standards-based flexibility to avoid vendor lock-in and maximize the return on equipment investments while minimizing total cost of ownership (TCO) and initial capital expenses (CAPEX).