Tunisie Telecom enables communities and connects lives with first deployment of ADTRAN remote-powered DSLAMs

Areas with low fiber penetration and limited power set to enjoy the transformative benefits of affordable, high-speed broadband

ADTRAN®, Inc., (NASDAQ:ADTN), a leading provider of next-generation open networking solutions, today marks another milestone in its EMEA Enabling Communities Connecting Lives program with the latest deployment for its sealed outside plant (OSP) DSLAM solutions in the North African market. Incumbent operator Tunisie Telecom (TT) is leveraging ADTRAN’s unique Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) capabilities to deliver next-generation copper-based broadband services to locations where laying fiber is cost-prohibitive and/or electrical power sources are unreliable or unavailable.

The ADTRAN 1148VX OSP DSLAM enables operators, like TT, to offer subscribers in all areas, including difficult to reach regions, higher broadband speeds. In the conducted trials, broadband rates in excess of 90Mb/s on loops of several hundred meters were reliably and repeatedly demonstrated. The robustness of the ADTRAN OSP solutions was demonstrable even in extreme cases, where customers on loops exceeding 2KM in length were historically without service and are now receiving reliable 20Mb/s services and higher. The trial also demonstrated the ability to reliably remote power ADTRAN 1148VX OSP DSLAM through existing copper pairs from a central location several kilometers away. Tunisia Telecom is also planning on bonding up to 8 existing twisted pairs of copper as data uplink plus remote power to expedite time to market and minimize cost of fiber uplink. The 1148VX is fiber-ready and will accept fiber uplink when fiber becomes available. The trials highlighted the need to include the latest residential gateway products to ensure the broadband service was not restricted by the older 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi limitations

“By harnessing next-generation access technology in innovative and sustainable ways, TT can transform communities and boost local economic growth among residential and business subscribers,” said Werner Heinrich, director broadband solutions at ADTRAN. “Having already deployed over 130,000 of these nodes in some of the world’s harshest climates, ADTRAN is the market-leading choice for accelerating affordable broadband service deployment in these environments.”

ADTRAN OSP DSLAMs are widely deployed by operators around the world, with millions of ultrafast broadband ports in this low-profile, zero maintenance form factor shipped to date for a range of applications and harsh environmental requirements. ADTRAN has the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of OSP DSLAMs with unique solutions such as DMT copper backhaul, 48P-384P System Level Vectoring, and universal power supplies that support DC/AC/Span Power sources.

“Between our FTTH coverage and areas served with VDSL2 services from MSANs deployed in traditional ways, there are numerous locations where we wish to improve broadband subscriber speeds rapidly and cost-effectively by evolving our network design,” said Jamel Sakka, CTO at Tunisie Telecom. “Tunisie Telecom is committed to providing high speed broadband services on a widespread basis, working alongside market leading vendors to develop solutions that address the needs of our customers within a sustainable business model.”

ADTRAN’s ECCL program has benefited hundreds of communities, driving economic development, transforming healthcare, government services and connecting classrooms with other learning centres around the world.

About Tunisie Telecom

Founded more than 165 years ago, Tunisie Telecom is the fully integrated telecom services operator in Tunisia, with leading market positions across all segments with over 6 million customers and an employee base of c.6,500. Tunisie Telecom offers the largest mobile coverage in the country, owns and operates a nationwide fixed and fiber network infrastructure. This is complemented by an extensive submarine cable network allowing for direct and fully redundant connectivity with Europe, Africa and Asia. Tunisie Telecom’s service offering ranges from 4G mobile broadband to Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Building as well as cloud and IP-MPLS solutions for enterprises.