Business

AT&T announces nationwide intelligent optical network, deploys CIENA's CoreDirector and Cisco's ONS 15454

Feb. 11, 2002

February 11, 2002--AT&T has deployed a new nationwide intelligent optical network designed to restore service faster in the event of a failure or disaster. Connecting more then 40 U.S. cities and already carrying live traffic, the new network will dramatically shorten provisioning time for new high-speed circuits for business customers who have direct access to the network, claim company representatives.

AT&T has deployed a new nationwide intelligent optical network designed to restore service faster in the event of a failure or disaster. Connecting more then 40 U.S. cities and already carrying live traffic, the new network will dramatically shorten provisioning time for new high-speed circuits for business customers who have direct access to the network, claim company representatives.

The intelligent optical network makes it possible to restore service faster in the event of a failure; switches can automatically reroute traffic after such an incident because each switch has a comprehensive map of all available routes.

This multi-vendor, next-generation network features intelligent optical switches and multi-service platforms that are carrying new private-line, Internet, voice, data, and video traffic. The "intelligence" in the switches comes from software that uses sophisticated real-time signaling and routing algorithms to make decisions without the need for manual intervention.

The intelligent optical network is based on two technology building blocks. The first is the intelligent optical switch, which carries traffic at a variety of bit-rates, from 45 Mbits/sec to 10 Gbits/sec, provisioning service via point-and-click capability at both ends of the circuit. In addition, the intelligent optical switch can automatically restore these circuits across a mesh backbone following fiber cuts or other failures. The CIENA CoreDirector will provide these core optical switching functions.

Multi-service platforms (MSPs) represent the second technology building block. The Cisco ONS 15454 SONET box will provide these edge-vehicle MSP functions, aggregating lower-rate customer traffic up to high-speed (OC-48 or OC-192) pipes for routing across the network by the intelligent optical switches. As part of AT&T's intelligent optical network, more than 100 Cisco ONS 15454 systems are deployed today, with significantly more planned for the future. Some of these will be installed on customers' premises and others in the AT&T metropolitan and long-distance networks.

For more information about AT&T (Basking Ridge, NJ) or the new intelligent optical network, visit the company's Web site at www.att.com.