German cable operator Unitymedia KabelBW, a subsidiary of Liberty Global, is upgrading its backbone fiber-optic network to coherent 100-Gbps capability with the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform from Ciena Corp. (NYSE: CIEN). Ciena says the addition of the 100G coherent optical transport platform will help Unitymedia KabelBW to reduce operating costs and latency and increase network flexibility.
Unitymedia KabelBW offers triple-play services, including Internet with download rates of 150 Mbps, to residential and business customers in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Baden-Württemberg. The company reports it had 7.1 million subscribers at the end of last year. In addition to improving its residential services, the company plans to upgrade its ability to provide Ethernet business, mobile backhaul, and transport services for mobile operators.
“Demand among residential customers is growing for broadband-intensive entertainment services such as music and video streaming, downloading multimedia content, or online video games,” explains Dr. Michael Langer, Director Network Engineering at Unitymedia KabelBW. “With Ciena’s platform we are tailoring our network to the needs of our customers. We have a flexible and scalable architecture, which we can adapt dynamically if customer requirements change.”
In addition to the installation of the optical transport equipment, Unitymedia KabelBW will leverage Ciena’s management tools for simplified low-touch service activation, service visualization, and network monitoring. Ciena also will supply elements of its Specialist Services Portfolio, including installation, operation, and testing.
“It is important for cable operators such as Unitymedia KabelBW to extend their own infrastructure to meet growing demands. This is made possible by our converged Packet Optical Platform,” explains Eugen Gebhard, regional director, Germany & Pan-European Carrier Accounts at Ciena. “It also enables higher data speeds and new applications so that customer expectations can also be met in the future.”
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
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