Calix announced today that it is extending the reach of its product line to include an access node.

The first platform in the company’s new E-series, the E5, is officially billed as a service edge node (SEN) and is targeted at operators wrestling with the operational cost of deploying fiber-to-the-premises. The E5 eliminates the need for service-area interface cross-connect upgrades that are typically required when carriers push fiber within a few thousand feet of the home.

According to Carl Russo, CEO of Calix, the goal wasn’t just to bring the cost of each box down to a minimum, but also to address operational expenses that soar with all of the rewiring typically required in FTTN upgrades. Because the new unit fits within the existing rights of way--it’s about 2 feet by 2 feet by 4 feet--and can be integrated with existing cross-connects, the company also is claiming a reduction in capital expenses by more than 50%.

The E5’s introduction, which comes less than a month after Calix closed its acquisition of Optical Solutions, Inc. and launched into the GPON market, also marks the first time the vendor has included support for VDSL2. Among the other cards the company is shipping with the E-Series are VDSL2 cards with integrated overlay POTS splitters and VDSL2/POTS combo cards. Like other pieces of Calix’s access line, the E-Series also comes with support for IGMP.

Frank Wiener, vice president of field marketing for Calix, said the E-Series will function much like the company’s C-Series and F-Series GPON access solutions in a video environment.