[Ed. note: For best enjoyment, article should be read with banjo accompaniment.]

Metro-Optix Inc. announced Monday that it has "multimillion-dollar agreement" to provide its CityStream product to DixieNet, a Ripley, Mississippi-based CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier) and Internet provider. The companies did not disclose the agreement's financial terms (see Metro-Optix Wins Dixie Deal).

DixieNet is a 60-person, $6 million-a-year company that provides service to businesses and consumers in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, says its CEO Karl Bullock. He says DixieNet will be running live traffic on six CityStream boxes in the next few weeks. The company plans to have 17 boxes in its network by year's end.

Two of the CityStream boxes in DixieNet's network are existing installations that DixieNet acquired when it bought WirelessLand, another Mississippi-based service provider. After the acquisition, Metro-Optix trained DixieNet's network operations employees on its gear. This opened the door to sell into DixieNet.

"When it came time for DixieNet to decide on a [multiservice provisioning] platform, the timing was right, the price was right, and the training was done -- so what's not to like?" asks Bullock.

DixieNet intends to use the CityStream boxes to connect some leased dark fiber from BellSouth Corp. (NYSE: BLS) to a collocation facility three miles away from the BellSouth central office. "We'll also use some of the boxes as a 'lite DACS,' " says Bullock.

To date, Metro-Optix's announced customers include 1stel Inc., a Texas-based CLEC, and Network USA, a CLEC based in Lafayette, Louisiana (see Metro-Optix Announces Customers). The company has announced trials with OutReach Communications, a Missouri-based CLEC, and also had an equipment reseller agreement with International FiberCom (IFC) (see Metro-Optix Platform Trials and Int'l FiberCom to Sell Metro-Optix Platform).

IFC filed for bankruptcy protection last month (see IFC Files Chapter 11).

Douglas Bowyer, CEO of 1stel, says that his company has deployed three Metro-Optix boxes and he's been "pleased with the performance of the equipment and the company."

Paul McKnight, controller for OutReach, says his company is still building out its network, which is not live and has no customers. "We're kind of in a holding pattern right now."

NetworkUSA did not return calls.

Metro-Optix has acknowledged equipment trials with larger carriers, and it has completed a Telcordia Technologies Inc. Osmine Services process (see Metro-Optix Completes Osmine Milestone). However, it has no RBOC (regional Bell operating company) contract wins to date.

— Phil Harvey, Senior Editor, Light Reading
http://www.lightreading.com