Ekinops has partnered with Whidbey Telecom, a rural service provider in Washington state, to boost the capacity of its middle mile transport network using the Ekinops360 optical transport platform. The upgrade addresses rising broadband demands driven by subscriber growth and increasing data consumption. Whidbey Telecom serves rural and geographically remote areas, including South Whidbey, Hat Island, and Point Roberts, using Community Connect Grants from the USDA and NTIA’s Middle Mile program funding for this deployment.
With a history of technological innovation dating back to 1908, Whidbey Telecom is rolling out a high-speed Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) network to deliver enhanced broadband access. The new infrastructure integrates the Ekinops PM_600FRS06-SF FlexRate™ Muxponder, providing up to 600G of WDM transport capacity per channel across spans of up to 90 kilometers (56 miles), including an undersea link across the Salish Sea. Ekinops’ Celestis NMS management tool oversees the network, ensuring optimized performance and scalability for both retail broadband services and wholesale backhaul services.
This collaboration enables Whidbey Telecom to bridge the digital divide in underserved regions while creating new revenue opportunities. “This expansion will fully support our broadband initiatives and is really just the first phase of a strategic build for Whidbey Telecom,” said Donna Hilty, COO of Whidbey Telecom.
• Project Scope: Ekinops360 platform deployment for middle mile transport.
• Technology: PM_600FRS06-SF FlexRate™ Muxponder with up to 600G capacity per channel.
• Coverage: Supports spans up to 90 km (56 miles), including an undersea link.
• Funding Sources: USDA Community Connect Grants and NTIA Middle Mile program.
• Management Tool: Celestis NMS for network performance and scalability.
