Clearfield Helps Blue Ridge Communications Reduce Fiber Installation Times by 50% in MDU Settings

Clearfield products to be a staple in all Blue Ridge Communication’s MDU deployments

Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLFD), the specialist in fiber management for communication service providers, today announced that Blue Ridge Communications is utilizing the Clearfield FieldShield® and YOURx® portfolios to deliver fiber networks in half the time to multi-dwelling unit (MDU) environments, speeding time-to-market with new services and enhancing the value of fiber to property owners. At the onset of the pandemic, the service provider experienced a surge in customers demanding fiber broadband. With the number of installs spiking 180% some months, Blue Ridge Communications needed to revamp its current approach to deploying fiber networks to MDUs to accelerate deployment times, allowing technicians to complete more installs and deliver gigabit services quickly to subscribers relying on connectivity to work, learn, socialize and receive medical care.

“Previous to using Clearfield in MDU settings, we had a mixed-bag of solutions in play,” said Zac Cronauer, Head of Fiber Initiatives at Blue Ridge Communications. “In many of our service areas, we are the only fiber broadband provider but in others we have competition. To continue winning business, achieve our installation goals and outpace our competitors, we needed to define our MDU strategy, which is an area where we are seeing a growing demand for fiber. I am now able to train technicians one time on how to complete installs for MDUs and know they have the knowledge to successfully complete any deployment.”

Blue Ridge Communications delivers high-speed internet, cable television and phone services to over 300,000 residential and business subscribers throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Blue Ridge Communications has been on the forefront of technology since its establishment and has constantly evolved to ensure its customers in both urban and rural areas can benefit from best-in-class services such as a gigabit internet connection, HD content delivered through the latest TiVo, or feature-rich digital phone service. In its service area, there has been an exponential increase in the number of MDU builds. As in every other area of its business, Blue Ridge Communications looked to Clearfield to help them continue their mission to provide top notch services to MDUs. The craft-friendly nature of Clearfield’s products made it the obvious supplier to support the operator’s MDU deployments. Clearfield’s products require minimal training because of their plug-and-play functionality and interconnect nature meaning that Blue Ridge Communication’s technicians can quickly complete their installs with the confidence that the job is done right.

“As the business case and economic opportunity for fiber-fed MDUs continues to grow, service providers like Blue Ridge Communications are going to see an uptick in full-fiber MDU installations to support high-value residential services, hosting of equipment to deliver 5G and more,” said Kevin Morgan, Chief Marketing Officer at Clearfield. “As a company, we have been investing heavily in our MDU portfolios and rolling out new products and product upgrades to prepare the market for what we see as a huge opportunity. We’re positioning everyone in the full-fiber MDU scenario to win – residents, service providers and building owners by streamlining deployment times and the path to revenue.”

Clearfield and Blue Ridge Communications will join the Fiber Broadband Association for a webinar today, August 24, at 12pm EDT, to discuss the benefits of the full-fiber MDU and share real-world deployment examples and testimonials. Register here to attend.

More information on Clearfield’s MDU deployment options can be found on this product solutions page or at www.seeclearfield.com.

About Clearfield, Inc.

Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) designs, manufactures and distributes fiber optic management, protection and delivery products for communications networks. Our “fiber to anywhere” platform serves the unique requirements of leading incumbent local exchange carriers (traditional carriers), competitive local exchange carriers (alternative carriers), and MSO/cable TV companies, while also catering to the broadband needs of the utility/municipality, enterprise, data center and military markets. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Clearfield deploys more than a million fiber ports each year. For more information, visit www.SeeClearfield.com.

About Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge provides reliable and affordable high-speed internet, cable television, and phone services to homes and businesses throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Whether you’re looking for a shockingly fast gigabit internet connection, HD content delivered through the latest TiVo, or feature-rich digital phone service, we’ve got you covered. We work hard every day to connect our customers to the people, places, and things that matter the most in their lives. For more information, visit https://www.brctv.com/.

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