SBC to Start FTTP Build this Summer in Milwaukee Suburb

SBC Communications Inc. will start construction this summer on a fiber-to-the-premises network in Pabst Farms, a 1,500-acre development in the Milwaukee suburb of Oconomowoc, which is the first community SBC has announced under its new FTTP initiative.

Chris Rice, senior vice president of network planning and engineering, says the developer of Pabst Farms approached SBC about the deployment.

Pabst Farms is reportedly touted as Wisconsin's largest planned community, with plans to include some 2,000 residential units, including single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums. It also will have a mix of offices, retail stores and other businesses

Alcatel, which SBC previously announced would provide it with FTTP equipment, will provide the key infrastructure for this deployment and four other cities – which have not yet been named -- in the first half of this year. During these five trials, SBC will focus on provisioning, inventory and repair issues around FTTP, says Rice.

In the second half of this year, SBC says there will potentially be limited greenfield deployments, with more potential deployment in new builds during 2005.

SBC, Verizon and BellSouth whipped up a lot of excitement around FSAN PON-based fiber-to-the-premises technology last June when they issued a joint request for proposals on such equipment. Verizon selected AFC to provide the active components for its FTTP builds.

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