As customer data demands explode, Verizon looks to scalability
Driven by customer demand for more data capacity, particularly for streaming video, Verizon has partnered with Cisco and Ciena to deploy a 100G metro optical network.
Eyeing plans to turn up live traffic in 2016, Verizon called the move a modernization that will provide increased flexibility and scalability, while reducing service activation time, and network operation and maintenance costs.
Lee Hicks, Verizon’s VP of network planning said the 100G metro deployment is forward leaning. “Deploying a new coherent, optimized and highly scalable metro network means Verizon stays ahead of the growth trajectory while providing an even more robust network infrastructure for future demand.”
Ciena and Cisco will provide optical-transport solutions based on CDC ROADM’s, colorless, directionless, contentionless, reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers.
“Ciena and Cisco met not only our technology requirements but the aggressive timeline to deploy our next-generation 100G-and-above metro network,” Hicks said.
Specifically, Verizon is using Ciena’s 6500 packet optical tech and Cisco’s Network Convergence System; the next step is testing the architectures.
Kelly Ahuja, SVP of Cisco’s service provider business group, said Cisco is “pleased to play a key role in Verizon’s optical network modernization program.”
“Cisco has made key investments in next-generation optical technologies to enable Verizon to realize its vision to transform its network architecture to achieve the speed and operational efficiency required to meet the demands of today, while capturing growth opportunities over the next decade,” Ahuja said.
A 100G metro network provides increased capacity, reduced latency and heightened ability to scale network resources.
“In today’s Web-scale world, advanced, next-generation metro networks with high degrees of packet convergence and software intelligence are critical to the future of connecting increasing amounts of content to users,” Francois Locoh-Donou, SVP of the global products group at Ciena, said.
