I am pleased to report that the Blandin Foundation made Broadband Communities’ Top FTTH Stars list – again! Here is a little bit about their selection process…

In selecting the FTTH Top 100, the editors looked for organizations that advance the cause of fiber-based broadband by

• Deploying networks that are large or ambitious, have innovative business plans or are intended to transform local economies or improve communities’ quality of life
• Supplying key hardware, software or services to deployers
• Introducing innovative technologies with game-changing potential, even if they have not yet been commercially deployed
• Providing key requirements for fiber builds.

Blandin is made its way near the top of the list, which is actually in alphabetical order! It was fun to see other entities with a Minnesota connection listed too (I’m going by companies I know – please feel free to correct my list!):

• 3M Company/Communication Markets Division – Interconnection, connection protection, fiber management and facilities protection products for broadband networks
• Baller Herbst Law Group PC – Legal services, public policy advocacy
• Calix – Broadband access platforms for fiber and DSL networks, network and services management software, value-added software as a service
• CenturyLink – Data, voice, video, managed services and hosted IT solutions
• Finley Engineering – Network design and engineering services
• Hiawatha Broadband Communications – Voice, video, data and wireless services over high-speed networks
• Institute for Local Self-Reliance – Broadband policy research and municipal broadband advocacy
• KGP Logistics – Products for FTTH, including outside plant, central office, DAS, transmission and customer premises; supply-chain and distribution services
• MasTec – FTTx deployment, outside-plant cabling, inside-plant construction and installation, joint trench systems, splicing and testing, systems integration, ongoing maintenance
• Pace International – Distributor of DISH content, hardware, materials and accessories
• Suttle – Fiber enclosure systems; home networking solutions; high-speed terminal blocks; structured wiring enclosures and modules; VDSL splitters; data, video, and phone jacks