SUCCESS STORY - CDE Lightband
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Brocade MLX Series routers
- Brocade NetIron CES 2000 Series switches
- Brocade MLX Series 8×10 GbE blades
- Brocade Network Advisor
Tech Stack
- Active Ethernet network
- 1 GbE services
- 10 GbE capacity
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Revenue Growth
- Customer Satisfaction
Technology Category
- Networks & Connectivity - Ethernet
- Networks & Connectivity - Network Management & Analysis Software
Applicable Industries
- Telecommunications
- Utilities
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Fleet Management
- Supply Chain Visibility
Services
- System Integration
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
About The Customer
CDE Lightband is a municipal utility provider based in Clarksville, Tennessee. The company began operations in 1938 and has since grown to serve approximately 60,000 customers. CDE Lightband maintains 892 miles of power lines and 960 miles of fiber optic cable throughout Clarksville. The company provides electricity, digital television, Internet, and voice services to the entire 100-square mile city. Its customers include City Hall, public parks, Austin Peay State University, hundreds of enterprises, and thousands of residents of Clarksville. The company's services are crucial for the day-to-day activities of these entities.
The Challenge
CDE Lightband, a leading municipal utility provider in Clarksville, Tennessee, was facing high-bandwidth demands driven by High-Definition Television (HDTV) and video-on-demand services. The company was experiencing pixelation at peak times and needed a platform that would scale to support Layer 3, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), carrier-class features, and other future upgrades. By providing 1 GbE to each of its customers, CDE Lightband aimed to solidify its position as the leading service provider in Clarksville and reduce competitive pressure from outside providers. The company also wanted to offer unique Ethernet services while keeping pace with its customers’ expanding triple play requirements.
The Solution
To meet the high-bandwidth demands and prepare for future customer demand, CDE Lightband upgraded its network with 10 GbE capacity. After comparing the technology, features, and costs of three competing platforms, CDE Lightband chose the Brocade solution, which includes Brocade NetIron CES 2000 Series switches, Brocade MLX Series routers, and Brocade Network Advisor. The company was impressed with the rich features provided by the Brocade solution. The upgrade allowed CDE Lightband to seamlessly upgrade its current Brocade MLX Series infrastructure to 10 GbE and support IPv6. Also, Brocade offered a lower per-port cost, helping to reduce CDE Lightband’s total cost of ownership. Unlike its competitors, CDE Lightband provides a true Active Ethernet network to its customers. This means that each residential and commercial customer has its own Fiber-to-the-Premises port. With an Active Ethernet network, the bandwidth on the connection is not shared, giving CDE Lightband an effective way to ensure a 1 GbE connection to each subscriber.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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