Smart taps Nortel’s metro optic solution

To increase bandwidth capacity and ease network traffic without laying additional underground fiber optic cable in densely populated Metro Manila, Smart Communications Inc. has completed the implementation of an optical metro backbone and network from Nortel Networks based on dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology

Deployment of Nortel Networks’ OPTera Metro 5200 Multiservice Platform is part of Smart’s strategic initiative to enhance the performance and reliability of its information technology (IT) infrastructure, and to address the needs of its ever-expanding GSM prepaid subscriber base, with high-bandwidth Storage Area Network (SAN) data backup.

"OPTera Metro will provide Smart with more reliable, high-speed connectivity between data centers as a key component of its overall business continuity strategy," said Antonio Pio de Roda, Nortel Networks’ managing director in the Philippines.

"Installed in record time, this deployment offers an excellent example of the type of applications driving the need for high-speed DWDM optical solutions in busy metropolitan areas," he added.

Nortel Networks’ OPTera Metro 5200 solution is data-optimized with protocol and bit-rate independence for data centers requiring high-speed data services – network attributes essential for third-generation-ready wireless networking.

"Nortel Networks is leveraging its market-leading DWDM storage connectivity solution – now serving a number of the top financial institutions globally – to help increase the performance and resilience of GSM networks," De Roda said.

"Using DWDM reduces bandwidth costs, while easing congestion and supercharging the response time of data applications," he said.

OPTera Metro 5200 is a flexible, scalable solution offering up to 32 protected DWDM wavelengths per fiber. Each wavelength can scale from 50 megabits per second (Mbps) to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) to accommodate very large bandwidth requirements.

OPTera Metro 5200 is part of Nortel Networks comprehensive, flexible Metro Optical portfolio of DWDM, next-generation SONET, and Optical Ethernet products, currently deployed in more than 1,000 customer networks in 45 countries.