Focus on scale
Leveraging Ciena’s WaveLogic capabilities, which were deployed by Ciena partner Willcom, the WaveRouter will allow DFA to deliver greater scalability by integrating 400 Gbps, 800 Gbps, and 1.6 Tbps services within a single router.
By combining Ciena’s optical and routing technologies in a unified, multi-layer architecture, DFA can fully harness the advantages of coherent routing to build a simpler, more robust network. Additionally, Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite (Navigator NCS) provides DFA with one point of control to automate multi-layer network operations and scale wide area network (WAN) traffic, delivering capacity precisely when and where it’s needed.
“With Ciena’s optical and routing technologies, DFA is better positioned to deliver high-scale 400 Gbps aggregation today while preparing its network to scale up to 1.6 Tbps and beyond,” said Virginie Hollebecque, VP of EMEA for Ciena.
Three-phase network upgrade
The 1.6 Tbps trial follows Phase 1 of DFA’s R800 Million network upgrade. This upgrade included deploying Dry Underground Distribution Cabinets (DUDCs) in high-density areas to speed up service delivery. DFA’s DUDC deployment, which began in August 2023, is designed to support higher fiber volumes linked to access services – including dark and lit managed services – as well as accelerate service delivery and improve resilience.
Since the company first began rollout in 2007, DFA has deployed fiber infrastructure across major metros, secondary cities, and towns across South Africa.,
As DFA began the network upgrade strategy in 2022 and 2023, it saw several network incidents that affected customers in parts of Gauteng province. The province represented the highest density of infrastructure for the DFA’s network.
DFA’s network upgrade is being conducted in three main phases. During phase one, the service provider is focusing on Gauteng, with the migration of existing services continuing over the next 12 to 24 months.
Phase 2 will consist of upgrades in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in 2026, while Phase 3 will cover the rest of the national network over two to three years.
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