June 13, 2006 Munich -- Siemens Communications will work with Belgacom International Carrier Services (ICS) to develop what it claims is the first telecommunications network based on reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) technology in continental Europe. The new fiber-based network, dubbed PEN4FUTURE, will link 16 European telecommunications nodes and enable Belgacom ICS to offer its customers transmission capacity up to n x 40-Gbit/sec wavelengths.
The PEN4FUTURE project relies on Siemens' Surpass hiT 7500 platform, which enables the optical transport of applications on regional to ultra-long haul networks through a flexible DWDM architecture.
Thanks to the ROADM technology and its optical multi-degree nodes, customers can now not only benefit from optical restoration and protection, but also from significantly lower operational and investment costs compared with the previous generation DWDM technology, say Siemens representatives. Moreover, the plug & play and fully tunable ultra-long haul transponders reduce the time to deploy. This technology also enables Belgacom ICS to deliver a variety of client interfaces up to native 40 Gbits/sec.
Belgacom ICS's new optical backbone will link 16 network nodes in seven European countries, including Belgium, France, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and at a later stage Italy. The deployment is phased from May to August 2006.
"We are very pleased to have been selected over our competitors for what is a first in continental Europe," contends Christian Unterberger, president of fixed networks at Siemens Communications. "Belgacom ICS is an ambitious international operator, and this commercial success shows that our solution really is the most suitable for the current requirements of pan-European network operators."
"It is very important for Belgacom ICS to offer its customers a solution with the highest flexibility and quality, reliable operation, and fast provisioning times at the best price," adds Bridget Cosgrave, CEO of Belgacom ICS. "With Siemens' new optical network, we will be able to reinforce our position as leader in the global telecom market and gain a competitive advantage by introducing this type of new technology."