September 21, 2004 Reading, UK - U.K. network operator Neos Networks has deployed next-generation SDH equipment from Turin Networks (Petaluma, CA) as a converged service platform on its national network.
Turin's Traverse Multiservice Transport Platform was supplied to Neos by MiTech Group plc. "Deploying several 10-Gbit/sec multiservice nodes in the space of a few weeks, together with the challenge of interconnecting successfully with several other vendors such as Nortel, Nokia, Riverstone and Sorrento, has been a special experience," said Mogens Hansen, chief technology officer of MiTech Group plc.
The Turin platform uses ITU-T standards for Ethernet service adaptation including Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Virtual Concatenation (VCAT), and the Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS).
Neos Networks has initially deployed the equipment to build a new high capacity ring in London between the City and Docklands, in Birmingham and Scotland, and to extend the network to Gloucester.
"The real benefit of this technology is the ability to carry Ethernet services over SDH infrastructure without compromising performance or margin," said Bob Hase, strategic development manager for Neos Networks. "The convergence of Ethernet and SDH into the same box gives us a cost-effective way of extending the coverage of our network. We now only need to deploy one piece of equipment to give a full service-offering from a new site. The enhanced crossconnect capabilities also allow us to use more of the available bandwidth, giving us enhanced capacity in our SDH network and, in turn, the ability to offer a better service to our customers."