SWC Telesolutions - FTTP - Central 01
SWC Telecommunications, Inc. (SWCT) proposes to deploy Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) and XGS-PON technology to 230 unserved eligible BSLs in the Central 01 PAU, including the community of Waterflow. SWCT is choosing to deploy to 99% of the eligible unserved BSLs in this PAU. The remaining unserved BSLs are extremely remote, and the number of eligible unserved BSLs is so low (or have been incorrectly characterized as a structure that is eligible to receive broadband service), that it is not economically feasible for SWCT to deploy FTTH technology to these locations, even with BEAD support.      After completion, SWCT will provide service at speeds ranging from 100 Mbps/100 Mbps to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps, scalable to 10 Gbps/10 Gbps, with latency less than 100 ms, to the impacted locations. These locations currently lack access to broadband service at sufficient speeds and the remote nature of these locations greatly increases the cost to deploy FTTH service. Without support from the BEAD grant program, it is not financially feasible to deploy a high-speed broadband network to these locations.    SWCT will be asking for a grant award of $5,529,120 to complete this project.  SWCT will contribute 25% of the cost of the project through a $1,316,800 in-kind support in the form of IRU fiber and a cash match of $526,240.  The total project cost of $7,372,160 would lead to a per BSL passing cost of $27,714.89, which would make this a financially unfeasible project without the grant funds.     The project will take four years to complete after the grant award has been made.    SWCT has an established and effective strategy in place to aggressively market its service offerings to the newly enabled fiber locations. SWCT has successfully used this strategy in previous fiber deployments. SWCT will use multiple tactics to communicate the availability and benefits of high-speed fiber optic broadband service. SWCT will also have local teams in place to discuss service offerings with customers, take orders, and install service. SWCT has several service plans available, at speeds ranging from 100 Mbps/100 Mbps to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps. In addition, SWCT’s pricing allows for discounts on the monthly rate if the subscriber chooses either a 6-month or 2-year contract period. SWCT’s experienced customer service team will work with the subscribers to determine the speed and plan that works best for them.    SWCT’s experienced and well-qualified staff continuously monitors the network to ensure it is operating at peak efficiency, all traffic is moving smoothly and reduce bottlenecks through diverse and redundant routing. Any disruption to the network is quickly identified and teams dispatched to isolate the problem and effect any repairs. SWCT performs routine maintenance and upgrades of the network to ensure long-term viability of the network.