ePlus Helps Broadband Service Providers Add Value in Underserved and Rural Communities

In May 2023, ePlus Technology acquired the Network Solutions Group from CCI Systems. The Service Provider Group at ePlus focuses on closing the digital divide across the United States in regional and rural communities by building carrier-grade networks for municipalities, electric cooperatives, service providers, utility co-ops, local government, tribal communities, regional education networks, and more. The combination of ePlus experience in broadband coupled with strength in solutions such as security, datacenter, collaboration, networking & emerging technologies enables the service provider group to help customers long after the network is built. 

The Connection Between Carrier-Grade Technologies and All Markets 

The technology and knowledge base existing within the service provider team can apply to markets outside of the broadband service provider segment. A network is a network, and building resiliency and redundancy into an internet service provider network is just as important on a municipal network offering utilities to its residents.

Service provider technology can be agnostic and used in different market segments. It can be as simple as three switches inside of a local business, or it can be a multi-state network of cutting-edge routers, but very quickly, a conversation about a fiber ring becomes more of a technology and architecture conversation and less of a market conversation. To achieve the best solution and outcome, oftentimes, this is referred to as carrier network infrastructure.

Carrier-grade networking and architecture can be boiled down to:

• core routing
• optical transport
• access technologies

The terminology of “carrier-grade” or “carrier class” indicates quality, high reliability, high uptime, and high flexibility to keep essential services up and running. At face value, carrier networking is a set of hardware or equipment, but it’s also synonymous with the architectural philosophy implied with the design. If you have the newest technology, but the architecture is faulty, it will fail just the same as a less expensive option.

Building a Fault-Tolerant Architecture Across Any Network 

You can take a carrier router and put it in a broadband service provider network, a private power cooperative network, a municipal network in a rural city, or an educational campus. If the intent is high uptime and high availability, the deployment of the carrier router will be nearly the same despite the diversity of the networks. Where the router connects will be different, and what’s important to the network operator will vary, but a fault-tolerant design is customizable and transferable. The network architecture and methodologies behind the equipment have as much importance as the brand and model number. You cannot have one without the other.

For instance, a traditional enterprise network, like a hospital or university, might need to deliver high bandwidth with immense uptime, resiliency, and flexibility to move bandwidth in the right direction. A carrier-grade technology can be better suited for the job. Geographically, a medical campus may not be as big as a sprawling university campus, but the data both networks need to move, and the way they need to move it can require carrier-grade infrastructure. 

No matter what the most important outcome and solution for the provider is, a fault-tolerant architecture cannot be understated or overlooked—especially when it comes to critical information and secure data.

Start Working with the ePlus Service Provider Group

The ePlus Service Provider Group brings the knowledge of carrier-grade infrastructure and how those architectures can be applied to varying market verticals with a continued emphasis on service provider networking. The combined organization provides access to more than 2000 industry manufacturers, enhancing the services and solutions extended to broadband providers and bringing more options to new and existing customers. Completing the highest levels of mastery, holding top certifications, and leveraging strong industry partnerships gives the ePlus team the tools to employ cost savings, faster deployments, and improved network performance to broadband service providers and other markets.

At the end of the day, equipment is equipment. It’s all about how you use it and how it’s deployed into the new or existing architecture. The planning behind the build has as much value as the gear. Let the ePlus Service Provider Group help you master your network.