Next Level Rings Up New Business

Next Level Communications , a Rohnert Park, Calif., provider of equipment that helps telco’s transmit broadband content over existing phone systems, has signed three new deals with telecom service providers.

KMTelecom, Venus Telephone and Allendale Telephone, will soon deploy the Next Level’s full service access platform. Financial terms of the sales were not disclosed. With the wins, Next Level now serves 113 telco customers in 38 states.

“More and more telcos are using our equipment to deliver services that were previously impossible, and garner revenues that were previously unavailable to them,” said J. Michael Norris, Next Level’s CEO.

Minnesota-based KMTelecom purchased Next Level equipment to offer integrated digital TV service, high-speed Internet and voice services. Initially, the offering will be available to 1,000 customers. Later, it will be made available to an additional 5,000 customers.

“Next Level provides the only access equipment available today that has proven in real deployments that it can deliver cable-competitive digital TV, high-speed Internet and telephone services as a bundle,” said Mary Ehmke, general manager of KMTelecom.

The offering, which uses Next Level’s very-high-speed digital subscriber line technology, will help KMTelecom compete against its cable and satellite rivals.

Venus Telephone will use Next Level’s product to deliver digital TV services to approximately 1,500 customers in northwestern Pennsylvania. AndMichigan-based Allendale Telephone will deliver voice and data services to customers through Next Level’s platform.

“A lot of people associate Next Level’s platform with video, but the equipment also delivers voice and data services very well,” said Calvin Gulker, plant manager for Allendale Telephone.