GCI Deploys CommScope Remote MACPHY Device for DAA

RD2322 RMD deployed in NC4000 fiber nodes for Remote MACPHY network upgrade

With support from CommScope, GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications provider, is the first company to successfully deploy the CommScope RD2322 RxD as a Remote MACPHY Device (RMD) into a service-providing network. With the upcoming launch of the service in 19 Alaska communities, GCI will be among the nation’s leaders in 2 gig internet deployment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211006005212/en/

The RD2322, which CommScope first announced in May, can be deployed as either a Remote PHY Device (RPD) or a RMD based on its software image. GCI deployed the RMD in its existing CommScope NC4000 fiber nodes by swapping the node lid, bringing a host of key advantages to the GCI network including a simplified, distributed access architecture (DAA), lower latency, greater headend efficiencies, and higher throughput.

“GCI is now among the first to deploy Remote MACPHY in its broadband network, and we credit our longstanding partnership with CommScope for our successful launch,” said Victor Esposito, vice president, Engineering, GCI. “The deployment of RMDs paves the way for GCI’s launch of 2 gig internet in the coming months and our journey to 10G in the next five years. RMD technology also allows us to move internet distribution from the centralized headend out into neighborhood nodes, enabling GCI to provide more reliable, better quality, and higher performance service to our customers. We look forward to working with CommScope to deploy RMDs throughout our network in Alaska.”

“CommScope deeply understands the imperative to transition networks to DAA,” said Ric Johnsen, senior vice president and segment leader, Broadband Networks, CommScope. “We designed the RD2322 platform to cater to the broad needs of our operator customers—whether they’re going directly to Remote MACPHY, like GCI, or are choosing to start with Remote PHY. The RMD leverages over 20 years of field-hardened software as well as seamless integration with legacy back-office infrastructure to make this high-profile transition simple and reliable.”

CommScope’s end-to-end solution for Remote MACPHY includes the RMD, fiber nodes, video delivery, fiber, cables, and connectors, as well as back-office software to orchestrate, onboard, manage, and scale deployments. The RMD provides an evolutionary path for operators to transition from I-CCAP and Remote PHY to Remote MACPHY—an architecture with a clear path to DOCSIS 4.0 Extended Spectrum DOCSIS. To find out more about CommScope’s solutions for Remote MACPHY, please visit the CommScope website.

All product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About GCI

Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $3 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.

About CommScope:

CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) is pushing the boundaries of technology to create the world’s most advanced wired and wireless networks. Our global team of employees, innovators and technologists empower customers to anticipate what’s next and invent what’s possible. Discover more at www.commscope.com.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn and like us on Facebook.

Sign up for our press releases and blog posts.

This press release includes forward-looking statements that are based on information currently available to management, management’s beliefs, as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results to differ materially from those currently expected. In providing forward-looking statements, the company does not intend, and is not undertaking any obligation or duty, to update these statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: CommScope

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211006005212/en/