Corning, Wesco, Nokia, join up for rural broadband

News and Business

Corning says it’s collaborating with Wesco International and Nokia to help accelerate and simplify last-mile broadband deployment in rural and regional networks. Wesco will be the first distributor to launch a new fibre-to-the-home kit featuring Corning’s FlexNAP™ components. The Corning solution, with its passive optical components, complements the active components in Nokia’s Network in a Box solution, announced in June 2022 and distributed through Wesco. By stocking both, Wesco now offers components, software and services for last-mile networks reaching up to 1,000 homes.

FlexNAP is a cabling solution pioneered by Corning which, by eliminating splicing in the field and providing an end-to-end passive infrastructure, allows operators to complete projects up to five times faster and significantly reduces the need for skilled labour, according to the company. Operators can deploy with up to 30% lower total cost than other FTTH solutions. By combining FlexNAP with Nokia’s Network in a Box, Wesco will be the distributor of the combined active and passive solutions.

“Smaller operators have a big part to play in bringing high-speed connections to more people and more communities,” said Steve Mitchell, senior vice president, Carrier Networks, Corning Optical Communications. “Corning is proud to work with Wesco and Nokia to give operators of rural and regional networks everything they need to bring fibre to homes more quickly as we work together to connect the unconnected.”

“Wesco continues to focus on helping our customers streamline their supply chains to speed fibre network builds globally, as well as rural broadband deployments throughout North America,” said Rick Arsenault, vice president and general manager, Global Service Providers and Broadband for Wesco. “By partnering with Corning and Nokia, and their innovative FlexNAP™ and Network in a Box solutions, we continue to accelerate connectivity to those in underserved areas as well as those fibre networks supporting 24/7/365 connectivity.”

“Broadband is an essential service for the success and prosperity of our communities and nation. As the U.S. Government commits to historic funding efforts for delivering broadband to underserved families, Nokia has formed a strategic partnership with Wesco and Corning to create an incredible ecosystem that allows any size operator to confidently build a carrier-grade network utilising best-in-class technology from Nokia and Corning,” said Shaun McCarthy, president, North America Sales at Nokia. “The partnership also means best-in-class delivery, using our ‘Network in a Box’ concept that accelerates deployments and provides consistent and expedited equipment supply chain performance.”

For more information, visit www.corning.com