Telstra activates Always On automatic restoration on submarine networks

July 8, 2019
The capability, which leverages technology from Ericsson and Ciena, reduces service restoration time from the previous average of eight hours to less than 30 minutes.

Australian incumbent and international services provider Telstra has activated its “Always on” automatic restoration service on three submarine networks that serve Asia. The capability, which leverages technology from Ericsson and Ciena, reduces service restoration time from the previous average of eight hours to less than 30 minutes.

The service is based on Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme portfolio, software from Ericsson, and the extensive amount of submarine network infrastructure Telstra operates in Asia. The “continuous connection service” enables traffic to be automatically rerouted to available paths if damage occurs on a submarine cable link. The capabilities currently are available on Telstra’s Singapore to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Japan, and Japan to Singapore routes.

“Damage to a subsea cable can take weeks or even months to fix. But with our new continuous connection service, we are able to reroute customers impacted by potential damage to another subsea cable path on our three-path network in less than 30 minutes,” stated Telstra’s Head of Connectivity and Platforms, Nadya Melic, this past January when the service was unveiled.

“Typically, customers would have a ‘work’ path and a ‘protect’ path for business continuity reasons. Both paths require equipment on them at all times. This can result in high, ongoing costs for resiliency. Our ownership and management of assets allows us to reduce that cost by moving equipment from one cable to another to restore services if one fails,” Melic added in a recent Telstra press release.

Telstra estimates that availability on intra-Asia routes typically can be up to around 89%. The ‘Always on’ service has improved this uptime by an average of 20%, Telstra asserts.

For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

Sponsored Recommendations

The Road to 800G/1.6T in the Data Center

Oct. 31, 2024
Join us as we discuss the opportunities, challenges, and technologies enabling the realization and rapid adoption of cost-effective 800G and 1.6T+ optical connectivity solutions...

On Topic: Fiber - The Rural Equation

Oct. 29, 2024
RURAL BROADBAND:AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHALLENGE The rural broadband market has always been a challenge for service providers. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic highlighted ...

ON TOPIC: Cable’s Fiber to the X Play

Aug. 28, 2024
Cable operators are strategically deploying fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks in Greenfield markets and Brownfield markets where existing cable plant has reached its end of life...

On Topic: Optical Players Race to Stay Pace With the AI Revolution

Sept. 18, 2024
The optical industry is moving fast with new approaches to satisfying the ever-growing demand from hyperscalers, which are balancing growing bandwidth demands with power efficiency...