April 8, 2004 San Jose, CA -- US Signal has deployed Cisco's ONS 15600 Multiservice Switching Platform (MSSP) to aggregate multiple OC-192 rings in its optical network operating in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. The Cisco ONS 15600 will help enable US Signal to scale and manage its growing network core and to redirect capital expenditures that can now be targeted to expand its network.
Installing Cisco ONS 15600 MSSPs at key network junctions helps US Signal to aggregate traffic in its OC-192 backbone network. The ONS 15600 has what Cisco claims is the industry's highest port density for OC-192 supporting equipment, helping to enable scalability of multiple networks without increasing floor space and power needs. By inserting the ONS 15600 into hub locations of its network, US Signal can redeploy existing ONS 15454s from hub locations to new service opportunities at the network edge.
In addition, US Signal reduces its cost-per-port and decreases its time to provision new circuits for customers while realizing an increased return on its investment. "The operational and capital reductions we are realizing by using the Cisco ONS 15600 are very attractive," asserts Barry Raterink, president of US Signal. "The Cisco ONS 15600 is interoperable with our existing Cisco ONS 15454 Unidirectional Path Switched Ring (UPSR), as well as our Bidirectional Line Switched Ring (BLSR) architectures. Now we are able to redeploy our Cisco ONS 15454s closer to our customers to more efficiently meet their needs."
Because of commonalities between the Cisco ONS 15600 and the Cisco ONS 15454, technicians are able to quickly learn to turn up and provision the Cisco ONS 15600 when it is added to the network. "The Cisco ONS 15600 provides a simplified network architecture, increased reliability, and faster provisioning times," adds Raterink.