In a move designed to extend the reach of its metro dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical networks, Nortel Networks (Quote) yesterday announced it plans to enhance its metro optical portfolio. The company says the new services will also lower costs for both enterprises and service providers.
Nortel made the announcement at the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference 2003 in Orlando.
Greater metro optical network reach means service providers will be able to locate redundant data centers more remotely from the "home office" for security purposes. Nortel Networks estimates that the greater reach will also position service providers to drive network cost reductions of as much as 50 percent.
The enhancements will come in two phases, according to Nortel. In the first phase, scheduled for availability in the fourth quarter, Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 5200 Multiservice Platform will extend the reach of metro DWDM networks to as much as 350 kilometers over 2.5 Gbps channels and 110 kilometers over 10 Gbps without dispersion compensation.
The second phase enhancement, scheduled for availability in the first quarter of 2004, will extend this reach to as much as 600 kilometers over 10 Gbps channels.
"Implementations of regional applications in metro DWDM networks, which are typically in the 200 to 600 kilometer range, are increasing as enterprises seek to move back-up centers farther from their main offices, due to security and business continuity concerns and changing regulations in finance, insurance, and healthcare," said Sterling Perrin, senior research analyst, IDC. "In addition, regional applications such as cable video on demand are emerging."
Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 5000 Multiservice Platform provides DWDM and CWDM (coarse wavelength division multiplexing) optical solutions, with over 10,000 network elements deployed and over 27,000 wavelengths lit, according to the company. Nortel Networks end-to-end optical network portfolio includes SONET/SDH, optical switching products, photonics (WDM), and Optical Ethernet products.
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