SEPTEMBER 6, 2007 — Free, a subsidiary of the Iliad Group (Paris), upgraded its full 16-slot Cisco CRS-1 systems to a multi-chassis configuration, with capacity reaching 2.5 Tbits/sec. Cisco announced that the expansion was completed without service interruptions to Free's Europe subscribers.
Free expects IP traffic requirements to double every 18 months, as it rolls out a user-created TV channel service (TV Perso Freebox), subscription-based on-demand movie and television services (Free Home Video), and a national fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Doubling capacity with its Cisco-based IP next-generation network (IP NGN) anticipates increased demand, says Maxime Lombardini, CEO, Free.
Free selected the CRS-1 carrier routing core network upgrade for multi-cast performance capabilities, high availability, and the non-disruptive upgrade process, reports Cisco. Completing the upgrade in-service, without interrupting the network, was essential to Free, adds Thierry Drilhon, managing director of Cisco France and VP of Cisco Europe. Free services more than 2.5 million subscribers on its network.
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