Ericsson installs 1st WDM network solution in Canada

Ericsson installs first WDM network solution in Canada Ericsson today announced the first Canadian installation of the Ericsson Optical Networking (ERION ) solution for expanding the bandwidth of core backbone transport networks. Ericsson's Optical Networking ERION is based on Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology and enables carriers to equip the same fiber with far more capacity by splitting light into wavelength components, each acting as an individual channel. This effectively allows a single fiber pair to handle more than one million parallel phone calls. Rogers Cable Inc. is the first Canadian operator to deploy WDM technology over their existing fiber infrastructure. With this technology, Rogers gains one of the most powerful transport networks based on bandwidth. "Providing new and competitive services to our customers quickly and effectively has always been a priority for us at Rogers," says Dermot O'Carroll, VP Network Engineering at Rogers Cable. "This new technology will make our network scaleable and give us the ability to implement leading edge technologies as they become available." The ERION system makes it possible for operators to expand their networks in a more flexible fashion because it can handle all available client technologies: ATM and IP as well as the more established transport networks such as SONET/SDH and PDH. The ERION system uses future-proof infrastructure so that new technologies and services can be quickly and easily introduced to a network. "We are confident in the ERION system, and other organizations are too," says Brian Barry, President & CEO, Ericsson Canada. "In July, America Online selected the Ericsson ERION system to expand the capacity of their existing infrastructure." "Once the ERION system has been installed, an operator's network can be expanded very cost-effectively and without affecting existing business thus allowing for continued growth for their consumer services," says Vince Arone, Director, Sales and Marketing, Network Systems. "Other global operators are choosing this technology to increase their network capacity. BT, o-tel-o, Sonera and Telefonica are four major European operators that are implementing Ericsson's WDM solutions." Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Johan Wiklund, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 560 0134; E-mail: johan.wiklund@lme.ericsson.se Bill Gajda, Director, Marketing Communications, Ericsson Canada Inc. Phone: +1 905 629 6838; E-mail: bill.gajda@emc.ericsson.se Per O. Andersson, General Manager, WDM Systems Phone: +46 8 719 4854; E-mail: per.o.andersson@etx.ericsson.se Ake Lidstrom, Communications Director, Optical Networks Phone: +44 1403 277 200; E-mail: ake.lidstrom@etl.ericsson.se Background Information Ericsson has secured contracts with many of the world's leading operators for various ERION WDM such as linear or ring solutions, providing IP services direct on WDM, ATM direct on WDM, video on WDM, Gigabit Ethernet on WDM as well as SDH/PDH on WDM. ERION, Ericsson's intelligent optical networking portfolio, provides a flexible, scalable and uniquely secure solution to the problems of increasing demand for bandwidth in core transport, metropolitan area and access networks - whatever the network architecture. The ERION portfolio provides operators with WDM products needed to build high-capacity, multi- layered optical networks to efficiently manage the bandwidth needed for new multimedia applications. ERION consists of a complete range of WDM products that minimize costs by permitting the use of existing transport network equipment while simultaneously multiplying the capacity per fiber and offering integrated protection at the optical layer. By combining optical signals used for different transmission technologies and at different speeds, ERION maximizes utilization of legacy equipment and provides capacity for ATM, IP and Ethernet traffic. The ERION portfolio includes Linear Optical solutions as in the Roger Cable Inc. case, as well as metro solutions, such as the ERION FlexRing launched last year, optimized for wide area metropolitan (WAM) networks with a ring circumference of up to 500km. It addresses the network segment just above the metro access layer, which is covered by ERION Metro (max. 100km circumference). ERION supports a wide range of network topologies and has been widely implemented in North America and Europe for applications including ATM, IP, CATV, Gigabit Ethernet and SDH/SONET. Network capacity can be increased step-wise by 2.4 Gbps, which corresponds to about 30,000 new telephone lines or Internet connections. The equipment is capable of transmitting up to 64 wavelengths with development plans to upgrade significantly higher. The ERION product also facilitates functions that allow the infrastructure to be protected in the optical domain. If a cable is cut, the traffic will take another route through the network. ERION FlexRing and ERION Metro provide cost-efficient traffic protection for metropolitan applications - vital as data traffic volumes increase. ERION FlexRing provides unique optical-domain protection. ERION Metro gives per-channel protection, and re-uses channels dropped at any node in a ring to make bandwidth available for new signals, optimizing the metropolitan fiber network capacity. Furthermore, ERION Metro employs a sophisticated channel protection scheme that can be used optionally on a per channel basis. If protection is not required, the ring can be realized with a single fiber instead of a fiber pair. ERION Metro does not even require optical amplifiers, giving a very cost-effective solution for the metropolitan part of the network. ERION Metro also offers 'plug and play' channel upgrades, simplifying bandwidth expansions for operators. Ericsson's WDM solutions are based on optical network elements built on a common, modular and scalable platform. The ERION portfolio includes optical amplifiers, terminal and add-drop multiplexers, optical cross- connects and a management system that can control all network elements remotely from a central location - in short, all the components needed to build a managed, high-capacity optical network. Ericsson offers a strong transmission portfolio of solutions for both wired and wireless networks. Over 140 operators in more than 100 countries have already selected optical transport solutions from Ericsson. In wireless radio transmission, Ericsson holds a very strong position with MINI-LINK, its highly successful microwave product family - holding more than one third of the world market, more than double that of its nearest competitor. ERION and ERION FlexRing are trademarks owned by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden To read more about Ericsson's WDM portfolio ERION (Ericsson Optical Networking), see: http://www.ericsson.com/transmission/wdm/index.shtml or press releases at: http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom/Archive/1999Q1/19990217-0020.html http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom/Archive/1999Q3/19990706-0009.html http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom/Archive/1999Q3/19990915-0065.html http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom/20000301-0032.html