Zhone introduces Resilient Packet Ring technology to access platform
June 16, 2004 Oakland, CA--Zhone Technologies, Inc., announced that Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) transport capability is available across its entire family of MALC packet loop carrier platforms. The RPR technology adheres to the recently ratified IEEE 802.17 standard.
RPR has an extensive list of key features including the ability to maximize bandwidth efficiency, statistical multiplexing, QoS guarantees, sub 50-msec protection switching, fairness control, and simplified provisioning. RPR allows carriers to efficiently and cost-effectively handle both TDM and packet traffic by implementing shared virtual rings. Multicast and broadcast traffic is also delivered much more efficiently with RPR.
"Carriers are looking for more than just integrated access plus transport in order to simplify deployment and management of platforms in their distribution networks," said Jeanette Symons, chief technical officer and vice president of engineering at Zhone. "By introducing a packet based transport solution utilizing industry standard RPR over Gigabit Ethernet, Zhone offers carriers efficient, reliable transport of converged voice, data and video services."
"The competition for subscribers among incumbents, cable MSOs, and ISPs has reached a crescendo," said Michael Howard, principal analyst at Infonetics Research. "To compete, service providers must sustain and build their existing networks, while simultaneously migrating to a more capable and cost-effective next generation IP/Ethernet infrastructure. Our recent study found that a majority of major service providers are planning RPR as an essential ingredient in their next-generation networks. The integration of broadband access with industry standard RPR gives carriers a way to achieve this migration and deliver competitive low cost services."
The new Gigabit Ethernet uplink card supports multiple redundant line-rate Gigabit Ethernet traffic in today's existing MALC platforms. The new packet ring capability expands the flexibility of the MALC product family with an even broader range of configuration options while maintaining common management, integrated cross-connect, integrated loop qualification with internal splitters, efficient bandwidth management and flow-through provisioning capabilities to clearly differentiate the platform from traditional next-generation digital loop carrier platforms.
As a next-generation, high-density packet loop concentrator, the MALC has been specifically designed to support transport and distribution of voice, data and video services in a single platform. The MALC uniquely facilitates the migration to packet networks by allowing carriers to deploy today using TDM circuit and ATM technology and migrate to entirely IP packet access and transport as their needs and networks dictate without incremental hardware.