SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 -- Qwest Communications announced it has begun to upgrade its nationwide network to position it to deliver speeds of up to 100 Gbps to its customer edge sites. This build-out has begun on Qwest’s network and is planned through 2010.
Qwest’s new backbone capabilities aim to deliver 100 Gbps across its national network directly to customers in markets where the company offers its Ethernet-based iQ Networking and QWave data networking services.
Qwest is making the investment through “a deepened relationship” with Alcatel-Lucent. The new architecture Qwest is deploying is designed to reduce latency and add capacity to the core network to accommodate growth from video and other bandwidth-intensive applications.
Qwest will deploy, among other technologies, Alcatel-Lucent’s recently announced 100 Gbps Ethernet service routing capability. Installation includes supporting routers and switches out to the edge of the network, as well as Alcatel-Lucent’s optical, ultra long-haul platform that will transport the 100-Gbps services. Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.
As a result of the evolution, the network needs fewer regeneration sites and relies on advances in silicon power handling. Qwest expects the improvements to produce gains in power efficiency on a per-Gigabit basis, helping create a greener Internet.
According to Pieter Poll, Qwest CTO, “This industry-leading upgrade, with the help of our partner Alcatel-Lucent, allows Qwest to meet the very real challenges of responding to data consumption trends. Qwest is satisfying customers’ appetites for increasingly sophisticated applications while honoring the need to be more resource-efficient.”