Epsilon Telecommunications expands London metro capacity with BTI Systems gear

Network services provider Epsilon Telecommunications is expanding the capacity and reach of its London metro footprint with new platforms from BTI Systems. The upgrade focuses on the backbone portion of its network and involves the deployment of additional packetVX 24/4 (PVX 24/4) systems as well as BTI’s new PVX 80 systems, both part of BTI’s 7000 Series packet-optical transport product line.

Epsilon has used BTI Systems equipment in its global network for about eight years, according to George Szlosarek, the service provider’s CTO. The London expansion follows the success of a similar upgrade to Epsilon’s network in Singapore last year (see “Epsilon Telecommunications deploys BTI Systems’ Dynamic Optical Layer”). Epsilon has used the PVX 24/4 to help transition its network from Ethernet over SDH to a native packet infrastructure, but now seeks to scale capacity. The ability to stack PVX 24/4 platforms helps in this regard, while the increased density of the PVX 80 also will come into play in several nodes, Szlosarek said.

The recent availability of four-degree ROADM capabilities for the 7000 Series Dynamic Optical Layer offering also will come in handy, he added, as Epsilon continues its meshed network strategy.

Szlosarek expects the upgrade to be in place in time to provide enhanced services during the London Olympics. But he said that while that event certainly will provide a workout for the new capabilities, the overall demand for IP, Ethernet, and wavelength services in the region will continue to make the upgrade a worthwhile investment after the echoes of the last starter’s pistol have faded. The service provider has seen a significant increase in demand for wavelength services in particular, he reported. The upgraded infrastructure should enable Epsilon to meet these demands rapidly; Szlosarek reports that Epsilon in at least one instance was able to turn up a 10-Gigabit Ethernet service in one day.

An additional benefit of the upgraded infrastructure is that it sets the stage for 100-Gbps transmission, Szlosarek added. He declined to say when the carrier would deploy this capability or what form it would take, only that Epsilon is discussing the matter with its suppliers, including BTI Systems.

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