8 September 2003 Petaluma, CA Lightwave-- Mahi Networks, a supplier of metro core aggregation systems (MCAS), announced today that Buckeye TeleSystem of Toledo, Ohio has deployed the Mi7 MCAS to aggregate and switch multiple SONET rings for its hub switching facilities. For the initial application, Buckeye has cutover existing service from several SONET facilities that serve a large local institution with more than 70 sites, and aggregated the associated rings onto the Mi7. By aggregating SONET rings at a fraction of the cost of using back-to-back ADMs, the Mi7 MCAS deployment will allow Buckeye to re-deploy the decommissioned ADMs to other remote sites. This provides continued positive capital management by allowing Buckeye to reallocate capital that would normally be needed for the purchase of new SONET ADMs.
The Mi7's scalable architecture and IP/OSI DCC control capability gives carriers a cost-optimized solution for aggregating and remotely monitoring up to 4,096 heterogeneous, multi-vendor SONET nodes onto each Mi7 system, eliminating significant numbers of ADMs, DSX-3 bays, coaxial cabling, and cable infrastructure in a central office.
"The Mi7 will immediately allow us to reduce our capital SONET costs by almost 80%," said Joe Jensen, president of Buckeye TeleSystem. "Additionally, there are significant operational savings by reducing the number of network elements and manual crossconnects that we have to maintain. In space savings alone, the Mi7 could collapse 16 bays of our current generation SONET ring termination solution into one bay, delivering some of the most compelling economic and operational advantages that I've seen."
The Mi7's integration of transport and packet switching will be a key building block in Buckeye's transport, business data, and cable offerings. "Our mission is to be the preferred, innovative, community-leading provider of high quality voice, data, and video services," said Jensen. "Mahi Networks' full interoperability with our existing ADM suppliers, coupled with the Mi7's ability to eliminate layers of expensive infrastructure, will play a key role in our ability to deliver services on time, within project specifications, and always with consistent value."
In addition to significant operational and capital savings, the Mi7 MCAS offered an extremely smooth transition from a labor-intensive architecture to a far more efficient one. "There have only been a few instances during my career when the installation, commissioning, and cutover of a core network element was completed so smoothly and professionally, and the installation of the Mahi Mi7 was one of these rare occasions," added Jensen.
Founded in 1994, Buckeye TeleSystem is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data telecommunicationIservices. The carrier offers business phone lines, high-speedIdata services, ISDN PRI circuits, digital trunks, and voice mail to businesses in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.