Fujitsu unveils FLASHWAVE 4020 Ethernet Service Platform, announces first customer
May 5, 2004 Richardson, TX -- According to Fujitsu Network Communications Inc., its FLASHWAVE 4020 Ethernet Service Platform (ESP) simultaneously delivers Ethernet and DS1 services and lowers the overall cost of deployment for these services, while extending the proven reliability of SONET directly to customer premises. The compact size, low power requirements, and ability to transport traditional voice and next-generation data services across a converged access network makes the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP ideal solution for small to midsize customer sites.
The FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP is available today in an OC-3 or OC-12 version to fit into existing networks and accommodate a variety of subscriber bandwidth needs. The device can be configured for 1+1 protected, Unidirectional Path Switched Ring (UPSR), or unprotected network applications through a dual optical network interface.
Both the OC-3 and OC-12 versions of the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP offer seven DS1 interfaces, plus four 10/100Base-T Ethernet ports, allowing service providers to provision advanced Ethernet over SONET (EoS) services. Additionally, the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP supports Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS), and both high- and low-order Virtual Concatenation (VCAT), which enables service providers to transport Ethernet across existing SONET networks efficiently.
The FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP is built to carrier-class standards. Sub-50 ms SONET protection switching, NEBS Level 3 compliance, extensive Operation, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) features, full Performance Monitoring (PM) support, and loopback capabilities for SONET, DS1, and Ethernet allow complete operational flexibility.
The device can be managed and provisioned using Telcordia TIRKS, NMA, and Transport systems, as well as by the Fujitsu NETSMART 500 craft user interface and NETSMART 1500 Element Management System (EMS). An integrated Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent allows the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP to be easily incorporated into additional network management hierarchies.
"The successful launch of our FLASHWAVE 4010 remote extension module and the customer traction for this product illustrates that combining advanced SONET features, carrier-class reliability, and popular interfaces in a low-cost, fully enclosed unit is exactly what carriers need to profitably converge access networks," contends George Chase, group president and chief operating officer of Fujitsu Network Communications. "Since its capabilities are available at a dramatically lower price than competing solutions, we expect significant customer interest in the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP," he adds.
One such customer is the Rye Telephone Company (RTC--Colorado City, CO), which will use the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP to relieve congestion in its access network and to offer its customers competitive voice and broadband data services. RTC will deploy the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP at remote edge locations and use an OC-12 Unidirectional Path Switched Ring (UPSR) to connect to central offices. Voice services and advanced broadband applications will be provisioned through the ESP's seven DS1 and four Ethernet interfaces respectively. The company plans to deploy additional FLASHWAVE 4020 ESPs over the next two years, using their existing FLASHWAVE 4100 and FLASHWAVE 4300 platforms as mini-Digital Cross-connect Systems (DCSs) to groom traffic between remote nodes.
"The FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP offers the perfect balance of capacity, size, and cost for our application," asserts David Shipley, assistant manager at RTC. "Being the first customer for the FLASHWAVE 4020 ESP is exciting because we know that the Fujitsu name on the outside will guarantee a high level of quality and reliability on the inside. This assurance is something we have come to expect from all of the FLASHWAVE 4000 Multi-Service Provisioning Platforms (MSPPs) we have deployed," he adds.