Wilcon picks Ciena for California fiber-optic network upgrade

Wilcon, a West Coast provider of fiber-optic network and data center infrastructure, is deploying Ciena’s converged packet-optical and packet transport network platforms to power its new 100-Gbps infrastructure. The new network, slated for operation in the first quarter of 2015, will enable Wilcon to offer Ethernet, wavelength, and Internet access services throughout Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego.

The 3,000-mi fiber-optic network will connect 1,000 on-net locations, including data centers, colocation facilities, enterprise locations, and wireless communications sites. Wilcon has an eye on industry professionals and production houses, who the company believes will benefit from the network’s ability to enable such customers to transition to 4K UHD and accelerate digital content creation and distribution in pre- and post-production. The network also will enable wireless carriers to support the needs of LTE transport, as well as enable Wilcon to provide agile services to corporate organizations throughout the region.

For this deployment, Wilcon teamed with Ciena Diamond BizConnect partner LightRiver Technologies to design, deploy, and support Ciena's converged packet-optical transport platform and packet networking platforms on its fiber-optic network. Leveraging Ciena’s OPn network architecture, Wilcon will be able to improve file- and stream-based workflow collaboration, reduce operating expenditures, solve increasing bandwidth demands, and speed time to market, Ciena asserts.

Ciena is supplying a wide range of platforms for Wilcon's upgrade. For example, the E-Suite family, including the 6500 packet-optical platform equipped with eMOTR and WaveLogic coherent optical processors, will support the delivery of 100G wavelength services. Wilcon also will offer its Ethernet services via Ciena's 5142 and 5160 Service Aggregation Switches and 3930 and 3931 Service Delivery Switches – with subtended G.8032 Ethernet rings off the 6500. Ciena's OneControl Unified Management System will enable Wilcon to streamline operational efficiency and manage its entire portfolio of Ciena systems.

"It was evident that Southern California could no longer count exclusively on the legacy network services available to handle the bandwidth of today's HD video files and mobile data," said Reginald Scales, senior vice-president sales and marketing, Wilcon. "In response, we built an agile, high-capacity, next-generation packet-optical network that could easily scale to meet this market’s unique requirements. Thanks to Ciena's and LightRiver's expertise and leadership, we now have the ability to provide the media production professionals in California with the connectivity and bandwidth they need to create the entertainment we’ve come to enjoy."

For more information on packet-optical systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.