CommScope has been chosen as the fiber optic cable vendor for Merit Network’s broadband stimulus project, REACH-3MC.

The competition for this win was tough and CommScope was eventually selected from a number of qualified suppliers that responded to a request for proposal (RFP) Merit issued in June 2010.

CommScope notes that its RFP response included the recovery and recycling of all spent reels and this went well with the Merit team because there is expected to be more than 1,000 empty reels when construction is complete.

The REACH-3MC project will build 1,017 miles of open-access, advanced fiber optic network through rural and underserved communities in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Once this project is completed, it will connect 44 community anchor institutions as the network is built and will pass 391 more over time.

“We believe that CommScope will manufacture and deliver a superior fiber optic cable at a very competitive cost,” said Bob Stovall, vice president of network engineering and operations for Merit Network, in a press release. “There are a number of factors that we examined to reach this conclusion, from the quality of fiber optic cable produced to the delivery methods and cleanup.”

“CommScope specializes in helping people connect to high-bandwidth data, voice and video applications everywhere,” said Peter Karlsson, senior vice president of Global Enterprise Sales for CommScope, in a statement. “We are pleased to support Merit in providing advanced broadband access to more residents and communities in Michigan.”

Read a related article at TMCnet “CommScope A Two-Time Winner for Outstanding 4G Solutions for Wireless Backhaul.”