MRV builds Carrier Ethernet network for Springfield, MA

Optical transport systems vendor MRV Communications Inc. (OTCQB: MRVC) says the City of Springfield, MA, is using MRV products to create a new high-bandwidth telecommunication network throughout the city and surrounding region.

Through the use of fiber-optic network rings running 10-Gbps wavelengths and intelligent, carrier-class Ethernet demarcation functionality with advanced traffic management, the City of Springfield will support city services, regional development, and more connected communities.

“Our ability to offer an advanced Carrier Ethernet network provides a solid foundation for the development and progress of our city and region, and MRV made that transition easier,” said Andrew J. Doty, CIO for the City of Springfield. “We use the OptiSwitch line and Pro-Vision software to simplify the delivery and management of new services and traffic types, ensure the highest level of performance and SLA [service level agreement] compliance, and the support MRV provided through the planning and implementation stages were an instrumental asset in the evolution of our next-generation network.”

The City of Springfield is the largest city and entity in the southwest region of Massachusetts. To support the growth in next-generation Carrier Ethernet services, the city deployed multiple 10-Gbps fiber rings to connect a larger community of cities, campuses, and businesses to their regional hub. This enabled the city to migrate from existing 1.54-Mbps T1 connections to multiple 10-Gbps rings using MRV’s packet and optical equipment to provide the basis for this migration.

MRV says the change has resulted in significant cost savings for the city and created opportunities to develop new advanced services. The city converted 1600 analog and digital phones to VoIP phones with more features and cost savings over the existing telecommunications infrastructure. The new network also enables regional high-bandwidth connectivity to the recently completed Commonwealth of Massachusetts Data Center in Springfield, which is an active backup to the Massachusetts Information Technology Center (MITC) in Chelsea. Surrounding cities and towns seeking improved regional connectivity and telecommunications cost reductions are also connecting to the city’s fully owned fiber network using MRV equipment, and there is discussion of extending the network to Albany, NY.

To minimize support requirement the City of Springfield also uses Pro-Vision software, MRV’s provisioning and service management platform. This gives the city and its partners the ability to orchestrate, monitor, and troubleshoot the network from end-to-end and from multiple locations, and any organization connecting to the network can monitor their own connection performance. This improves visibility and minimizes the IT support requirements for the city and surrounding communities.

“Support for Carrier Ethernet services is an important element to the economic development and success of any region, as it provides access to the bandwidth-rich applications that enable governments and businesses to become more efficient and communities to improve education and remain connected to the wider region,” said Tim Pillow, senior vice president of global sales and marketing for MRV Communications.

For more information on Carrier Ethernet equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.