North Island backbone converges voice, data networks

TelstraClear, New Zealand's second largest full service telecommunications company, has implemented a major upgrade of its North Island backbone network with optical solutions from Nortel. The upgrade converges voice and data services onto a single network infrastructure, enabling new revenue-generating broadband services like VoIP, broadband ethernet and storage area networking (SAN).

"This major upgrade to our North Island network means TelstraClear can provide cost-effective, high-speed broadband access and next-generation IP services for more New Zealand business and residential customers between Auckland and Wellington as well as the major provincial centres along the network," said Phil Rolle, chief network architect, TelstraClear. "It also significantly enhances our competitiveness as a leading carrier, positioning us to use our converged multi-gigabit network to pursue new revenue opportunities."

TelstraClear has deployed Nortel Optical Multiservice Edge (OME) 6500 and Optical Long Haul 1600 to upgrade its North Island backbone. This network upgrade will make it possible for TelstraClear to enhance its customers' communications experience by offering flexible, secure and highly reliable broadband services. By deploying OME 6500, TelstraClear can seamlessly converge its voice and data networks, while enabling new revenue-generating broadband services for business and residential customers.

"Migration to a converged packet-optical infrastructure enables TelstraClear to leverage its existing network investment to establish the new revenue streams and reduce operating expenses that only a packet-optical network is able to deliver," said Mark Stevens, president, Australia and New Zealand, Nortel.

Designed to assist service providers in improving return on existing assets and to support long-term investment protection, the OME 6500 will enable TelstraClear to capitalise on the potential of its core fibre-optic network to deliver high-speed optical transport and meet New Zealand's growing demand for an increasing variety of affordable, high-speed broadband services. In addition to traditional electrical and optical interfaces, delivery is supported for optical ethernet, optical storage connectivity, and protocol- and bit-rate-transparent services. OME 6500 has been deployed in more than 35 networks around the world.

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