Calix unveils E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform for native Ethernet access applications

NOVEMBER 9, 2009 By Stephen Hardy -- Calix has debuted the E7 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP), a fiber-only, pure Ethernet companion to the company’s C7 multi-service access platform. The E7 comprises up to 10 1RU chassis and a variety of service cards to enable carriers to deploy the port count and architecture mix that best matches their application, particularly as they strive to support growing video-based services.

Each chassis features a 100-Gbps backplane and two service card slots. Available cards include:

• the GPON-4 Line Card, which offers four GPON ports, eight Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports, and standards-based 10GbE transport to support both residential and business services.
• the 10GE-4 Line Card, which offers carrier-grade, standards-based 10GbE transport and MEF 9/14-certified business services aggregation.
• the GE-12 Line Card for residential Active Ethernet service drops in 12-port increments, along with integrated, standards-based 10GbE transport.

According to Geoff Burke, senior director of corporate marketing at Calix, carriers can stack up to 10 such chassis and have the group appear to the network management system as a single entity with one IP address. The use of Calix’s Ethernet eXtensible Architecture (EXA) kernel simplifies network extension and speeds service provisioning, particularly within a network with other Calix platforms such as the C7 or E5, Burke added.

Calix has begun shipping the E7 to six “select” customers, Burke revealed. One of these is Horizon Telecom, an Ohio-based regional service provider.

“As one of the first large-scale switched digital video deployments in the country, we know what it takes to deliver and keep pace with the accelerating demands of advanced video services,” Joe Corbin, vice president of operations, Horizon Telecom, was quoted as saying in Calix’s E7 announcement. “The E7 allows us to immediately address emerging access needs and to simplify and reduce our cost of operations. Where existing fiber is available, we can install an E7 and install advanced video and broadband services to multiple customers, all on the same day. Calix has become a partner which Horizon can rely on to deliver solutions to keep us ahead of our competition.”

While not addressing Horizon’s deployment specifically, Burke said that the GPON-4 card has been the most popular card so far, mainly because of the variety of interfaces it supports. The platform should be generally available next month, he added.

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