Cisco to build 10-GbE network for Telmex Chile

June 29, 2005 Santiago, Chile -- Telmex Chile has selected Cisco products for the basis of a 10-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) IP network in Chile. The IP/MPLS network, covering the Santiago metropolitan area, will incorporate the company's ONS 15454 multiservice optical platform, its 7600 Series routers, and its Catalyst 3750 and 3550 Ethernet switches. The company says the 10-Gbit/sec metro network will support a total aggregate capacity of more than 300-Gbit/sec.

"The initiative to build a new network grew out of the demand that was coming from all kinds of clients - not only corporate clients, but also customers in special niches such as education and health, who needed to transport large volumes of information. That hasn't been possible until now," notes Rodrigo Herrera, corporate manager of Telmex's business client section.

Telmex says the implementation of the 10-GbE network will broaden its "pipe" grid within Santiago's metro area, and will be used to transmit large quantities of information along different routes.

"The new network makes applications like remote back-up more economical, higher in capacity, and more secure," says Herrera. "Bandwidth can be managed more easily and in more detail, by time, user, and application. This will allow us to ensure performance of specific applications, like voice over IP and videoconferencing."

The operator says it's already working with clients to help them gain from the new infrastructure, and that it will soon be able to offer a variety of advanced applications in cities such Valparaiso, Concepcion, and Temuco, as market growth requires.

According to a press release, Cisco Systems Chile and Telmex began working together in 2001, when the former Chilesat built a DWDM and IP MPLS fiber-optic network in Latin America, doubling the company's services in the region. The DWDM network incorporated the company's long-distance optical transport technology and Transport Manager software for fault management, configuration, performance, and equipment safety. The infrastructure provided 257 times the capacity of the previous network, as well as bandwidth redundancy, enabling the present introduction of advanced IP services for Telmex Chile's enterprise customers.

"By starting from scratch we received the benefits of a flatter, less layered network that enabled us to offer a broader service portfolio at a lower cost, since it was not burdened with inherited infrastructure from older platforms," mainatins Benjamin Rodriguez, an account manager with Cisco Systems Chile. "It had all the scalability and flexibility enabled by the new technologies, and none of the limitations imposed by legacy networks."

"Since that year, a strong relationship has built up around sales of services based on the new network," concludes Herrera. "Also, a culture has grown up around a single platform providing multiple private services, in the engineering and sales divisions alike."