CenturyLink targets Ciena platforms for metro 100G requirements
Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) reveals that it is delivering its 6500 Packet-Optical Platform to CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) for the Tier 1 carrier’s 100-Gbps requirements in metro/regional fiber-optic networks internationally and domestically.
The deployments include metro networks in Singapore, London, and Hong Kong, where CenturyLink has completed installation of the Ciena packet-optical transport platforms, says Mike Adams, vice president of product and technology marketing at Ciena. Deployments to more than 50 metropolitan locations in the United States are ongoing and may take several years to complete, he added. The international and domestic deployments began last year.
The new equipment will support deployment of a variety of services, including Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 10GbE, 100GbE, and equivalent wavelengths to business customers.
CenturyLink has already announced that it will use equipment from Alcatel-Lucent and Infinera for its long-haul 100-Gbps fiber backbone networks (see “CenturyLink deploys 100 Gbps via multiple vendors” and “CenturyLink is Infinera's Tier 1 DTN-X customer"). Adams says Ciena’s selection for CenturyLink’s metro requirements underscores the viability of 100G coherent transmission paired with integrated packet switching for such applications.
Adams declined to say whether Ciena is the only systems house selected for the metro networks or, as is the case for the long-haul networks, CenturyLink has adopted a multi-source strategy. Asked about his strategy during an appearance at the Optical Society of America's Executive Forum today, CenturyLink Senior Vice President, National Network Planning, Engineering, and Construction Pieter Poll did not directly state that Ciena will have company. However, he indicated that CenturyLink generally has a multivendor philosophy and likes to upgrade already installed platforms. The Ciena 6500 systems represent new installations, according to Adams.
“CenturyLink understands the increasing need for scalability, capacity, and high-speed network services for today’s business requirements,” Poll was earlier quoted as saying in a Ciena press release. “Ciena’s converged packet and coherent optical technology allows us to provide speed and capacity improvements to our international and domestic regional networks, creating a true, end-to-end 100G network to deliver today’s bandwidth-intensive services and applications.”
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.
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