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Middle-Mile Resource Center

Build a sustainable middle-mile
without compromise

A broadband network designed to accomplish the transformational mission of bridging the digital divide has many parts. Most of the attention is on the access piece, with a lot of discussion focused on which technology and architecture will guarantee communities will have service in a sustainable way. Many remote and rural areas are located hundreds of miles from the nearest internet Point of Presence (PoP) and need an infrastructure to enable the interconnection. This part of the network is called middle mile (or aggregation network).

The middle mile is defined by the NTIA as any infrastructure of a broadband network that is not connected directly to an end-user and is so important that U.S. Government created a $1B dedicated funding program to support its expansion. As you aggregate ever-increasing last-mile traffic, it’s critical to build a network capable of handling the unprecedented capacity requirements, both tomorrow and for years to come.

Learn about the pressures your network will be under and how strategic planning today can help guide your decisions for a future-ready network.

Customer success storiesUtilities and electric cooperatives State governments and tribal nations Research and education

Don’t guess on bandwidth.
Deploy with confidence.


Find out how much capacity your middle-mile really needs.

Calculate demand

image of the middle mile calculator

Figure 1: A fiber-based next-gen broadband network access architecture

Next Generation Broadband Architecture

The opportunity is now to evolve from legacy technologies to embracing a new mindset.  Openness, modularity, and scalability must be at the core of any new broadband build to enable an efficient and sustainable infrastructure.

Customer Success Stories
How Ciena helps power middle-mile networks

Utilities and electric cooperatives

A utility’s middle-mile solution needs to have the capacity to aggregate and transport traffic to support the unprecedented capacity requirements for years to come. Ciena’s N x 100/200/400 Gb/s middle-mile network means that broadband customers can have faith in the performance of their subscribed services and know that they have the bandwidth to simultaneously satisfy all their streaming, work from home, remote education, and remote healthcare needs throughout their communities—well into the future.

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State governments and tribal nations

State governments and tribal nations around the country are investing in high-speed broadband infrastructure to ensure that a digital future is a reality for all citizens. This begins with a highly resilient, high-capacity, middle-mile network that enables these agencies to access high-performance, reliable, and cost-effective connectivity solutions for broadband access. Learn how Ciena’s solution is supporting state governments and tribal nations in providing connectivity for all.

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Research and education

The research and education networks (RONs and RENs) plays a significant role in providing affordable, open-access, middle-mile broadband infrastructure to enable last-mile networks connect underserved communities. Without high-speed broadband connectivity, communities will face challenges to thrive. Learn how Ciena’s carrier-grade, resilient, responsive solution can build a next-generation network to support the growing demands of the future.

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