Meriton Networks announces optical access multiplexer as part of its high-speed metro services architecture

9 September 2003 Ottawa, Canada Lightwave--Meriton Networksannounced the availability of the first fully managed, access- to-regional, high-speed metro (HSM) services architecture. The HSM architecture is made possible with the addition of a new transparent optical multiplexing device for the access, the 3300 OSU (optical services unit).

The HSM architecture includes the 3300 OSU to collect and aggregate traffic at the customer premise or the carrier's point of presence, and employs wavelengths for cost-effective transport and switching in the metro core by the Meriton 7200 OADX (optical add/drop switch).The elegance of the HSM architecture is that a single infrastructure is used to enable fiber relief and also deliver HSM services. With optical amplifiers and dispersion compensation modules, the architecture reaches beyond the traditional limits of metro networks with excellent regional distance support. All Meriton elements are fully managed by the centralized 8600 NMS (network management system).

The 3300 OSU offers key capabilities that are unique in the industry such as sub-rate multiplexing cards to maximize wavelength utilization with interface ports from T1/E1 up to Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel rates, support for both CWDM and DWDM, and very low start-up cost due to effective use of advanced pluggable technology. The 3300 OSU is available now for trials and will be generally available in the fourth quarter.

"We have concluded in numerous business case studies that the cost of WDM is lower than SONET/SDH multiplexing, and WDM price/performance is dropping at a faster rate," said Michael Kennedy, president of consulting firm, Network Strategy Partners. "To date, the market for high-speed services has been held back as carriers have been forced to treat each service order as a dedicated, custom-built project. With Meriton's HSM architecture, carriers have a way to tap into the better price/performance of wavelengths, and leverage the economic advantages inherent in shared capacity."

In its recent report, "Worldwide Metro WDM Forecast and Analysis, 2003- 2007," industry analyst firm IDC notes that carriers are increasingly deploying metro WDM equipment as infrastructure for new Gigabit Ethernet and storage service offerings to end customers. IDC notes that while fiber relief will continue to be an important application for WDM deployments, the real growth drivers are success-based builds that favor applications like Gigabit Ethernet and SAN extension that are closer to the customer and closer to revenue.

To date, the bulk of HSM service deployments are performed on a dedicated basis: carriers dedicating equipment and fiber on a customer-by-customer basis; an expensive and timely proposition for both the carrier and subscriber. Meriton's HSM architecture achieves tremendous economies of scale by enabling shared WDM networks that avoid the operational and economic pains associated with dedicated WDM structures.

Meriton Networks is demonstrating its managed high-speed metro services architecture and the 3300 OSU at the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC), Booth 845, in Orlando, FL this week.