LightEdge uses Actelis to displace T-1s

Managed service provider LightEdge Solutions said today it is deploying Actelis Ethernet-over-Copper products to offer voice, data and network service bundles to small to mid-sized businesses in six Midwestern and Southwestern states.

LightEdge is using Ethernet Access Devices (EADs) from Actelis’ ML 600 product line, as well as ML 100 and ML 1300 transport and aggregation switches in order to offer SMBs faster speeds at lower prices than the T-1 service they buy from incumbents today. LightEdge enables its customers to combine high-speed Internet access, VoIP, remote managed backup services, security services and hosted data services from its data center, all via a symmetrical Ethernet pipe. The company targets businesses with between 25 and 250 employees.

The Actelis gear enables the company to deploy an EAD and then upgrade the bandwidth as needed, said Kris Harris, vice president of operations, in a prepared statement.

“With T-1 lines delivering only 1.5 Mb/s, we would have to either add line cards to the router or change routers completely to upgrade the bandwidth service of a customer,” Harris said. “The Actelis solution is efficient because we can leverage the same equipment for all service levels. This provides our customers the ability to quickly upgrade their bandwidth as much as tenfold without the need for additional equipment or the time necessary to process changes. When customers need more than a bonded 2xT1 line or have foreseeable scalability needs, the Actelis option makes a lot of sense.”

LightEdge currently has 28 customer installations based on Actelis’ award-winning carrier Ethernet solutions. The company operates Points of Presence in Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Eastern Iowa markets. Based in Des Moines, LightEdge has offices in Cedar Rapids; Moline, Illinois; Kansas City; Minneapolis; Omaha; and Scottsdale, Ariz.