Alabama Fiber Network (AFN), a consortium of eight electric cooperatives, has chosen Arista as its provider of routing and switching equipment for a significant middle-mile network project. This initiative aims to deliver affordable, high-capacity, and reliable internet access to last-mile providers and large enterprises in underserved rural areas across Alabama. Supported by the State of Alabama through Governor Ivey’s Be Linked Alabama initiative and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the project will establish a 6,600-mile open-access, middle-mile network covering all 67 counties. This critical infrastructure will help bridge the digital divide by supporting communication service providers and community anchor institutions.
As part of the over $340 million investment, AFN has selected Arista's 7280SR3 platform, Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Nano (WL5n) 400G ZR+ pluggable transceivers, and Reconfigurable Line System (RLS). The Arista 7280R3 routing platforms offer a scalable and adaptable architecture, providing robust automation, routing, and switching capabilities to handle the network's demands. Additionally, AFN will utilize Arista's CloudVision® platform for streamlined network management, Arista Professional Services for implementation and validation, and enterprise solutions to support customer acquisition. The joint certification of Ciena's WL5n QSFP-DD coherent pluggable transceivers solution with Arista's platforms will optimize cost and power efficiency, enabling high-bandwidth 400Gb/s rates across distances of up to 1,000km and future-proofing the photonic infrastructure for emerging technologies.
- Project Scope: 6,600-mile open-access, middle-mile network covering all 67 counties in Alabama.
- Investment: Over $340 million.
- Equipment: Arista 7280SR3 platform, Ciena’s WL5n 400G ZR+ pluggable transceivers, and RLS.
- Benefits: Enhanced connectivity, robust automation, and future-proofing for emerging technologies.
- Support: Governor Ivey’s Be Linked Alabama initiative and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
- AFN, the DBA for the Fiber Utility Network, was established to address the lack of middle-mile connectivity in rural Alabama. Eight electric cooperatives and their subsidiaries: Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative, Covington Electric Cooperative, Cooperative Connection LLC (a subsidiary of Cullman Electric Cooperative), JWEMC Communications LLC (a subsidiary of Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Cooperative), North Alabama Electric Cooperative, Tombigbee Electric Cooperative, and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative collaborated with fiber lease partner Alabama Power Company to deliver middle-mile network.
