A pretty technical update from Sax Central…

Ribbon Communications has been selected to provide a middle-mile network solution for Vibrant Broadband.

The Plano, Texas-headquartered vendor will provide its IP-optical kit and automation software to Vibrant, the broadband arm of Meeker Cooperative, which is described as one of the Midwest’s oldest electric cooperatives and an early mover in rural fiber deployment.

At the heart of the network upgrade is Ribbon’s NPT 2100 router, a 1-rack-unit form factor (1-RU) platform that delivers up to 800 Gb/s of non-blocking switching capacity and offers interface options from 1 Gb/s to 400 Gb/s.

Vibrant is also adopting Ribbon’s Muse Multilayer Automation Platform, which layers SDN orchestration, service-lifecycle management, and low-code automation tools on top of the hardware.

And a slight update on Vibrant’s plans…

Vibrant plans to use the new equipment to extend fiber into unserved areas of central Minnesota and bolster its network backbone for advanced services.

Ribbon Communications, meanwhile, adds another name to its middle-mile client list, following similar initiatives in Alabama, Illinois, Montana, and Pennsylvania.

As U.S. broadband funding programs push fiber deeper into the countryside, community-owned power cooperatives such as Vibrant’s parent Meeker have become a virile market for middle-mile upgrades.