Sunrise selects RAD's Service Assured Access portfolio

Swiss service provider Sunrise Communications AG says it will soon be deploying equipment from RAD’s Service Assured Access portfolio for Carrier Ethernet networks.

Sunrise says the decisive factor in the decision to opt for RAD’s equipment was that it enables them to build an end-to-end network with Ethernet demarcation devices at the customer’s premises, as well as more centralized equipment for service aggregation. Potential applications include wholesale services and the linking of business client access points, which, by relying on the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) ENNI standard, can also reach beyond network boundaries.

Sunrise’s objective was to be able to provide future-oriented Ethernet services over both unbundled copper and fiber-optic networks. To achieve this goal, special attention was given to features such as transparent Layer 2 services, MEF certification, and a redundancy concept that guarantees the best possible quality of service (QoS).

Sunrise’s future network will incorporate flow-based devices from RAD’s Service Assured Access portfolio, such as the ETX-2 Carrier Ethernet Demarcation Device, which will be used to connect business customers over copper as well as fiber, and the ETX-5 Ethernet Service Aggregation Platform, which performs service aggregation and pre-aggregation of data up to the MPLS core. Both are MEF CE 2.0 certified.

“Our decision to select RAD’s Service Assured Access solution was based on extensive testing and comprehensive evaluation of all the data and facts,” declares Hans Jörg Denzler, head of Sunrise’s business client sector. “The ETX product line allows Sunrise to deploy a standardized system solution from a single vendor in order to offer high-demand L2 business services,” he explains. “This reduces network complexity and saves logistics and operations costs.”

The modular ETX-2 device delivers Ethernet over copper or fiber. Security-critical applications can be supported by connecting them redundantly over copper and fiber, enabling an automatic hand-off in the event of a network fault. Depending on the specific service package, end customers will be able to have as much as 1 Gbps of bandwidth at their disposal.

The ETX-5 is the flagship of RAD’s Carrier Ethernet portfolio. This modular 19-inch device is equipped with easy-to-configure 1GbE and 10GbE interfaces and can also be used as a timing-over-packet Grandmaster when required. STM-1 interfaces can also be added in order to accommodate the migration of legacy traffic to the packet-switched network.

As well as the successful integration of this technology into Sunrise’s management and provisioning system, RAD’s support team also helped train Sunrise technicians in network planning and operations.

For more information on Carrier Ethernet equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.