CenturyLink detailed the hardware it is using to challenge cable incumbent Cox Communications with the launch this month of a 1-Gig Internet service in Omaha, Nebraska.

The cable overbuilder said it is using gigabit passive optical network (GPON) gear from Calix Inc. for the 1-Gig launch. In addition to wideband Internet, CenturyLink said the technology will allow it to offer subscribers telemedicine, videoconferencing, streaming video and cloud services. Danny Pate, VP and GM of CenturyLink Nebraska said, "Providing our customers with gigabit services 100 times faster than the average American download speed gives them the freedom to leverage the power of the Internet without bandwidth constraints." CenturyLink has not announced plans to expand the 1-Gig service beyond Omaha.