July 13, 2004 London-- AboveNet Communications UK Ltd, a subsidiary of AboveNet, Inc., announced the completion of a London-wide DWDM network. The network spans from AboveNet's Global Switch facility in the Docklands out to IXEurope's London West data center via a North London route, connecting back into the Docklands via IBM's recently acquired Sampson House south of the river Thames.
This DWDM network will provide the platform for AboveNet to extend its IP network into both IXEurope and Sampson House enabling companies both in the West and South of the city the ability to connect to AboveNet's IP transit via either one of these locations.
With current network entry points in the Docklands area, AboveNet UK is also looking at additional sites along these routes for new IP nodes that will allow easier access to its IP transit products and services. The network will also provide companies the ability to take private wavelength services across the city with no protocol restrictions, with the added benefit of being fully managed by a company already delivering multiple CWDM and DWDM managed networks globally.
"We have the capacity to offer wavelengths of up to 10 Gigabits,"said Paul Stone, AboveNet's technical lead on Metro-Waves. "We are installing our first customer already. Rackspace has bought two 1 Gigabit wavelengths from IXEurope to Telehouse over diverse routes that are due to go live this month. It's very rewarding to know you are building a network that will go live with customers instantly."
"Our managed wavelength service achieves two things," said John Dowbiggin, AboveNet's UK managing director. "Firstly, it cuts the customers' costs. A customer wishing to buy their own pair of fibers from IXEurope to the Docklands, for example, would pay rates for the use of those fibers; in this instance AboveNet is covering this fee.
"Secondly, the customer has no cost associated with managing their wavelength," he continues. "This is a fully managed service by a company that already looks after a number of large DWDM networks. We are continually looking at ways to increase our IP nodes in London and this will open up AboveNet's quality IP backbone to more companies wishing to access it. I am extremely pleased with the installation of this network and look forward to bringing AboveNet's services to more and more businesses."