IRIS, a consortium of 11 independent telephone companies, selected Marconi solutions in order to increase its bandwidth and upgrade traditional routes with an optical portfolio that is entirely scaleable, while enabling better value for broadband services.
This agreement is a direct result of Marconi’s commitment to technological excellence and partnership relations, said Ellen Bryson, General Manager of IRIS Networks.
Marconi is offering us one of the most integrated and complete technical solutions available for our needs, both in terms of DWDM transmission devices and network management, all at a competitive price.
This win is significant, as it represents Marconi’s first major DWDM win in North America, said Marian Stasney, Senior Analyst, Carrier Convergence Infrastructure for The Yankee Group. As one of the leading European DWDM players, Marconi is increasingly focusing its attention on North American customers in an effort to gain share in this lucrative market. This win is an important step forward for Marconi.
Under the agreement, Marconi will deploy its SmartPhotoniX DWDM solution for IRIS using its PLX product family, which is optimized for 10Gbits/s transmission and is expandable up to 160 wavelengths – yielding a total transmission capacity of 1.6Tbits/s. Initially, IRIS will have channel capacity at 2.5Gbits/s; however, the flexibility of the PLX product family will allow IRIS to quickly upgrade its capacity to 10Gbits/s.
The increased capacity will allow IRIS to meet demand requirements in its key markets, such as Nashville, Chattanooga and Huntsville, without affecting the traffic already being carried.
This partnership is a breakthrough for Marconi, as it is our first major DWDM win in North America. Our optical networks solutions are designed to provide a smooth introduction of DWDM, said Mike Parton, CEO of Marconi. Our DWDM solutions massively increase broadband capacity under the same management system as existing networks with no interruption to customer service levels or management processes.
IRIS significantly increases its capabilities with Marconi solution
By overlaying Marconi’s DWDM solution on the existing IRIS SONET-based fiber ring infrastructure, they have augmented its ability to support end-users enjoying broadband services such as a faster Internet, Video On Demand and multimedia content. Using Marconi’s DWDM equipment, IRIS Networks will initially have the capability of carrying 40 protected 10Gbits/s channels.
Marconi’s DWDM solution solves the problem of over-using fiber, fiber exhaust, and is expected to be the central technology in the all-optical networks of the future. DWDM replaces time-division multiplexing (TDM) as the most effective optical transmission method.
SOURCE: COMPANY PRESS RELEASE
