Chattanooga Gigabit: EPB Looking at Next-Gen PON

EPB, the first US company to broadly deploy gigabit service residentially, has put any plans to expand service outside its electric utility service territory on hold, said Danna Bailey, EPB vice president of corporate communications, at the company headquarters in Chattanooga (TN).

EPB has received requests from surrounding communities, some of whom must rely on dial-up internet, to expand service. Although the Federal Communications Commission earlier this pre-empted a Tennessee law preventing the company from expanding, the state of Tennessee has filed its own suit which argues that the FCC did not have the authority to overturn the state law -- and EPB does not plan to expand service until the issue is resolved, Bailey said. Tennessee laws also prevent EPB from offering home security and similar services, noted Colman Keane, director of fiber technology for EPB. Some other broadband providers have found home automation and security to be logical add-ons to their offerings, but some such offerings are off-limits for EPB.