Fiber projects grow from Digital 395 middle mile

1 November 2015 by Steve Blum
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Fiber follows fiber.

Slowly but surely, Race Telecommunications is expanding its fiber to the home footprint in eastern California, using money from the California Advanced Services Fund. The latest addition could be several small towns in Mono County – the Gigafy Mono project – and five small mining communities further south, where the company is asking for $7.6 million and $8.9 million respectively. Draft resolutions approving the money are circulating now, with the California Public Utilities Commission expected to vote on them in December. The draft resolutions point out that the projects are a direct result of the Digital 395 project, a middle mile fiber network runs down the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada

South Chalfant will utilize Digital 395 fiber from existing Chalfant to New South Chalfant; Benton will utilize Digital 395 fiber from existing Chalfant to Benton; Swall Meadows will connect to the existing Race node in Tom’s Place;7 and Lee Vining will utilize Digital 395 fiber and connect back to Boron.

The Five Mining Communities Project will build on previous CASF projects by connecting to existing Digital 395 facilities via a dark fiber Indefeasible Right of Use from the Race Boron Central Office to the Ridgecrest Digital 395 Node. Race will also add a drop in the Randsburg/ Johannesburg/ Red Mountain ODC for network ring protection. This will ensure a reliable connection while also leveraging prior CASF investments.

According to Raul Alcaraz, Race’s CEO, the Boron system is exceeding expectations, with a take rate in the 40% range, just a few months after the project was completed.