By Mardi Balgochian Scalise, Lightwave Web Editor
In a multi-million dollar deal, Riverstone Networks, Inc., (Nasdaq: RSTN), a developer of metropolitan area networking, announced that Hong Kong-based Hutchison Global Crossing (HGC) has selected Riverstone's advanced routing technology to create what the company claims will be the world's first major metropolitan Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Ethernet network. Typical MPLS-Ethernet networks typically exist only in the core.
Bypassing competitors such as Cisco, Foundry and Extreme Networks, Riverstone metro-specific MPLS capabilities include:
* Layer 3 and 4 rate limiting;
* Routers capable of aggregating T1/T3 traffic from legacy deployments;
* A full range of routers for regional transport, aggregation and access
* Cross-network, point and click provisioning guaranteeing delivery of content over the optical Ethernet last mile.
Utilizing the expertise from a team of engineers and resources from both Hutchison Whampoa, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate with market capitalization of approximately $50 billion, and Asia Global Crossing, a pan-Asian service provider, HGC will provide nearly one million Hong Kong residents with last-mile Ethernet connectivity within two years after buildout is complete.
Riverstone will supply HGC with several hundred metro aggregation routers from the metro core to the access edge, including numerous RS 38000 optical metro backbone routers, which feature powerful service-creation tools and dynamic bandwidth provisioning capabilities. In addition to using RS 38000 routers in the metro core, HGC will incorporate RS 8600 multi-service metro routers for Point-of-Presence (POP) aggregation purposes, and RS 3000 metro access routers in building access applications. In particular, the deal will see:
* RS 3000s residing in every building basement, aggregating copper Ethernet traffic from layer 2 switches on every floor, and uplinking on optical Ethernet links;
* The RS 8600 aggregating traffic from building clusters and neighborhoods, including TDM (T-1) aggregation in certain neighborhoods;
* The RS 38000, sitting in the Metro core, is used for uplinks to the Internet Backbone, and regional transport (between Kowloon and Hong Kong, which is joined by a fiber cable under the harbor), over trunked Gigabit Ethernet links.
In terms of technology matter, the deal makes particular use of:
* Riverstone Metro MPLS over Gigabit Ethernet, for traffic engineering and to create circuit-like connections for access to high-quality content;
* Riverstone's layer 3 and 4 rate-limiting capabilities (to differentially rate-limit high quality content downloads versus normal Internet access);
* Riverstone's BGP routing capabilities (in the Metro core);
* The RS Router's TDM aggregation capabilities, to interconnect legacy portions of the network.
By deploying Riverstone routers in its metro network, HGC will manage and control bandwidth with unprecedented accuracy to deliver an extensive suite of advanced IP-based services to three major groups of customers: the business and corporate user, the domestic and mass market user, and the carrier-to-carrier market.
In the business sector, the company will cater for the needs of companies from multinationals to small-and-medium enterprises by providing voice, high-speed data transmission and integrated business solutions. In the domestic and mass market sector, the company will combine telecommunications technology with daily life to offer consumers a more convenient lifestyle. The services provided will include broadband Internet access and other, diverse intelligent home-based services. Hutchison Global Crossing will also further develop its carrier-to-carrier business by providing network infrastructure and related complementary facilities.
HGC plans to extend the scale of its high speed broadband services, offering Ethernet-based two-way 10 Mbps access service for about $30 per month plus hourly charges for use. The company also plans to use the bandwidth reservation capabilities of the network to offer video and other high-quality content, on a pay-per-use basis. This content will be offered in conjunction with an undisclosed major media company. With Riverstone's technology, HGC will become the first carrier to use metro MPLS technology to support content and service delivery.
"The HGC network combines the scalability and traffic management advantages of MPLS with the speed and simplicity of Ethernet to provide an optimal foundation for the profitable delivery of IP services," said Romulus Pereira, CEO of Riverstone Networks.
"This is a very significant metro optical Ethernet deployment," said David Gross, senior analyst at Communications Industry Researchers, Inc. "MPLS greatly improved traffic engineering in the long-haul IP core, and now Riverstone is leading the charge to bring MPLS to the metro Ethernet core. As service providers are forced to accelerate time to profitability, Riverstone has built a platform that can help them reach their financial objectives."
About Hutchison Global Crossing:
Hutchison Global Crossing Limited (Hutchison Global Crossing) is a 50/50 joint venture between Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Asia Global Crossing. It combines Hutchison Telecom's fibre optic telecommunications network and Internet-related assets in Hong Kong with Asia Global Crossing's international fibre optic broadband cable capacity and growing inventory of web hosting, Internet applications and data services. With the backing and support of its considerable resources, Hutchison Global Crossing will develop its overall business in three different areas, including local services, international services and multimedia services. For more information, visit www.hgc.com.hk.
About Riverstone Networks:
Riverstone Networks, Inc., (Nasdaq: RSTN) builds routers that convert raw bandwidth into profitable services for Metropolitan Area Networks. Riverstone's products enable the creation and delivery of services over next-generation and legacy networks, including SONET/SDH, Gigabit Ethernet, T1/E1, T3/E3, ATM, and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM). For more information, visit www.riverstonenet.com.