RICHMOND, VA and SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - October 22, 2010) - Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC), open-access broadband provider for southern Virginia and winner of two broadband stimulus grants, and Infinera (
The half-day of discussions takes place on November 8th, 2010, as stimulus grant winners begin planning their network strategies following the final stimulus awards announced last month by the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) and Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The MBC Broadband Network Strategy Day will take place at the Westin Washington Dulles Hotel near Dulles Airport, Virginia, just outside Washington DC.
Keynote address for the conference will be given by Dr. Tony Wilhelm, Program Director for NTIA's Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP), which is administering more than $3 billion worth of BTOP grants and loans. The Strategy Day will be hosted by Tad Deriso, President & CEO of MBC, and Jeff Ferry, Director of Broadband Marketing for Infinera. A series of panel discussions will discuss key issues including the best business models for successful broadband networks, key regulatory and governance challenges, and lessons to be learned from successful broadband networks worldwide. Also featured will be a discussion of current and future applications that can provide additional revenue sources for broadband networks.
"The new generation of broadband stimulus networks face challenges on many fronts, and they have to be aggressive, and willing to innovate and try new ideas and new business models, if they are to succeed," commented MBC's Tad Deriso. "This conference will provide insights from experts into how to tackle those challenges." Originally supported by the state of Virginia's tobacco settlement funds, MBC launched its network in 2006, pioneering a public/private business model that offered local and national telecom companies membership in the MBC cooperative. Today, MBC provides economical middle-mile broadband to 20 counties in Virginia, is cash-flow positive, and counts more than 50 ISPs and telecom companies as members of its cooperative.
"Once they are up and running, most broadband stimulus networks will be facing competition from much larger companies, and they must be sure to be as competitive as possible," commented Jeff Ferry of Infinera. "They must be opportunistic about their revenue sources, they must deploy the best technology to position themselves to support a wide range of customers, and they must plan to get to cash-flow positive as rapidly as possible." As a leading provider of long-haul optical networks in North America, Infinera provides unique flexibility and operational simplicity to broadband networks worldwide through its optical systems.
The MBC Broadband Network Strategy Day is open to broadband stimulus grant recipients and other interested parties. The fee to attend is $95 per person; this includes lunch and a light dinner reception. Space is limited. For more information or to register for this event, visit http://mbc-va.com/strategy_day/index.php or contact Anna Vue at (916) 595-8157.
About Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC) was established in 2004 as an independent open-access broadband cooperative to promote economic development in Southern Virginia. MBC's broadband initiatives helped to develop more than 2,200 jobs and attract $300 million of private sector investment to the region. Through its highly successful open access network model, MBC has brought advanced broadband services to telecom providers who serve the region's residents, businesses, hospitals, and school systems. Currently, more than 55 telecommunications providers use the MBC network to expand their reach and reduce their costs of providing retail broadband services. For more information, please visit http://www.mbc-va.com/.
About Infinera
Infinera provides Digital Optical Networking systems to telecommunications carriers worldwide. Infinera's systems are unique in their use of a breakthrough semiconductor technology: the photonic integrated circuit (PIC). Infinera's systems and PIC technology are designed to provide customers with simpler and more flexible engineering and operations, faster time-to-service, and the ability to rapidly deliver differentiated services without reengineering their optical infrastructure. For more information, please visit http://www.infinera.com/.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to Infinera as of the date hereof; and actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Infinera's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including that As a leading provider of long-haul optical networks in North America, Infinera's optical systems provides unique flexibility and operational simplicity to broadband networks worldwide through its optical systems. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipated," "believed," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include aggressive business tactics by our competitors, our dependence on a single product, our ability to protect our intellectual property, claims by others that we infringe their intellectual property, and our ability to respond to rapid technological changes, and other risks that may impact any of the group's business are set forth in their annual reports on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 1, 2010, as well as subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we disclaim any obligation to update the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact Information:
Media contacts:
Ann Weinberg
MBC
Tel. (804) 562-5114
ann@mbc-va.com
Anna Vue
Infinera
Tel. (916) 595-8157
avue@infinera.com