SureWest Communications (formerly Roseville Telephone Company) is a telecommunications operator, which offers local telephone, long distance, Internet, wireless, digital cable television, directory and commercial high-speed data services in the greater Sacramento Metropolitan region of the United States. It offers its broadband services through its subsidiary SureWest Broadband to its residential and business subscribers.
On 15 Aug 2006, the company announced its plans to provide its voice and internet services to about 10,000 businesses in the Sacramento area. It also aimed at expanding and upgrading its existing fiber network in the Roseville area.
In December 2006, the operator's FTTH network passed around 100,000 marketable homes in the Sacramento region.
Digital television services, telephony and digital voice services, DSL, dial-up, Wi-Fi and data services.
Standalone Tariffs
Package One - 0.5 Mbps
B
FTTX
500
500
169.00
Y
USD
Scalable, flexible data demands; technical support
Package two - 1 Mbps
B
FTTX
1000
1000
349.00
Y
USD
Scalable, flexible data demands; technical support
Package three - 2 Mbps
B
FTTX
2000
2000
649.00
Y
USD
Scalable, flexible data demands; technical support
Package four - 3 Mbps
B
FTTX
3000
3000
999.00
Y
USD
Scalable, flexible data demands; technical support
Package five- 4 Mbps
B
FTTX
4000
4000
1299.00
Y
USD
Scalable, flexible data demands; technical support
Package six - 5 Mbps
B
FTTX
5000
5000
1699.00
Y
USD
Scalable, flexible data demands; technical support
No "Broadband Service Level Agreement" data currently available.
No "Bundled Tariff" data currently available.
Network Statistics
Date
Homes Passed
Business Passed
Exchanges Enabled
DSL Enabled Lines
TV Customers
Telephony Customers
Internet Customers
Broadband Customers
Notes
31 Dec 2002
5,600
31 Oct 2003
10,000
30 Jun 2004
11,400
30 Jun 2005
18,041
31 Dec 2005
88,700
20,039
31 Mar 2006
90,000
20,963
30 Jun 2006
21,530
30 Sep 2006
55,183
Total broadband subscribers (DSL + fibre)
No "Financial" data currently available.
Geographical Coverage
Date
Region
Notes
01 Dec 2002
In 2002, Surewest launched triple play services over its FTTH network in the region of Natomas.
01 Dec 2003
In 2003, Surewest launched triple play services over its FTTH network in the region of Elk Grove.
31 Oct 2004
In October 2004, the operator launched FTTH services in Lincoln county and Elk Grove besides having its presence already in the regions of Greater Sacramento.
Network Architecture & Development
Headline
Details
Access Network
The users are connected to the fibre termination point via a FTTH network. The network offers high speed Internet, VOD, telephony and digital TV services.
Local Connection
The user is connected to the fibre termination point via a FTTH network.
Backhaul Protocols
The protocol used is Ethernet.
Transport Network
The operator besides its own fibre network also makes use of WAN’s and MAN’s networks.
Initiative of Deployment
The network was deployed by Surewest Communication in the greater Sacramento Metropolitan region of the United States.
Local Access Protocols
Ethernet is the main carrier protocol from the end-user to the fibre termination point.
Service Launch
In July 2002, Surewest launched triple play services over its FTTH network. FTTP service was introduced for the SME segment in 2004. In June 2005, the company launched its HDTV services over its FTTH network in the US.
Broadband Investment
In 2003, the operator invested around USD 83 million to set up and upgrade its FTTH network in the US. Out of this amount, USD 50 million was used to provide residential fibre connectivity.
Marketing Programs
Headline
Details
Launch of 'Ultimate Package’ and 'Quad-Play Ultimate Package’ in Sacramento - Bundle
On 13 Dec 2006, the operator announced its plans to introduce a special broadband service over its FTTH network, ‘Ultimate Package’ with speed of up to 50 Mbps (synchronous in nature) to its residential customers in Sacramento region. It is available at USD 259.95 per month.
Further, the operator also offered its ‘Quad-Play Ultimate Package’ in this region which included 50 Mbps broadband access; ‘Full Color Multiplex’, a digital TV service, which features over 250 channels and includes every premium channel; national unlimited local and long distance telephone and ‘Unlimited USA’ wireless plan with 1,000 travel minutes each month, at USD 415.18 per month. This bundle leads to a bundled savings of USD 430 per year.
Business Partners & Content Deals
Headline
Details
Comcast
In October 2004, the operator partnered with Comcast SportsNet, sports network of Comcast to provide a live coverage of Sacramento basketball games to Surewest’s digital TV subscribers on channel 99.
Equipment Suppliers
Headline
Details
Allied Telesyn
In September 2003, SureWest Communications signed an agreement with Allied Telesyn to supply 5,000 Broadband Residential Gateways and single fibre media converters for its FTTH deployment in the Sacramento, California region.
Irdeto Access
In May 2003, SureWest Broadband signed an agreement with Irdeto Access to supply next generation fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) equipment for its network. The FTTH solution enabled SureWest to deliver its IP video, voice, and data services efficiently and cost-effectively.
In September 2003, SureWest Communications signed an agreement with Irdeto Access to deploy Irdeto Pisys large-scale conditional access system and Irdeto Access Content Protection for using IP in its FTTH and DSL networks. The equipment enabled SureWest a secure delivery of video programming.
In September 2005, the operator partnered with Cisco to deploy Cisco’s Catalyst 4510 and 6509 range of switches for it FTTH services.
Company History & Development
Headline
Details
Overview
SureWest launched its triple-play service in July 2002 by acquiring fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) assets in a bankruptcy acquisition. The company has the largest number of fibre-to-the-home connections in the United States with over 20,000 customers in the Sacramento/Roseville region. The company also expanded its FTTH services in the Lincoln and Elk Grove counties.
In 2005, SureWest Communication became the first company to provide HDTV services on its FTTP platform in the United States. Currently, the company offers its triple-play services comprising voice, video and high speed Internet services with speeds of up to 20 Mbps over its fibre network to its residential customers. The company is also offering its FTTP services to the SMEs. The company had approximately 20,000 FTTH customers at the end of December 2005.
