OCTOBER 3, 2007 -- The Victorian Education and Research Network (VERNet), has signed a five-year, multimillion dollar contract with Nortel (search for Nortel) to boost network capacity to provide member institutions with 'always on' high-speed broadband connectivity.
Nortel says its Metro Ethernet Network portfolio Common Photonic Layer (CPL) advanced optical technology will enable VERNet to scale its network capacity up to 720 Gbits/sec in the future to support the deployment and future expansion of high-bandwidth applications and services to a growing number of member institutions. This will allow more than 100 research and education institutions in the state of Victoria to introduce services such as real-time, high-definition video broadcasts; offsite disaster recovery; and connections to radio telescopes. Member institutions currently include nine universities and the country's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Spanning more than 1,700 km throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria, VERNet's new statewide fiber-optic network with Metro Ethernet is currently under construction and due for completion in 2008.
"VERNet will provide the very fast and highly reliable connectivity that is critical for research and online education," explains John Carruthers, chief executive officer, VERNet. "In turn, this capability will also allow member institutions to build world-class research and education programs."
"Our high-capacity network with Metro Ethernet will be a major advantage and will position Victoria very well for the international trend towards high-speed, distributed education networks," adds Carruthers. "The Nortel CPL technology we have selected simplifies the challenge of spanning long geographical distances without compromising network performance. As well, the network will enable researchers, educators, and students to effectively collaborate regardless of whether they are located in rural areas or cities," he says.
"High-speed broadband technology is becoming particularly relevant as we move into an age of hyper-connectivity where anything and anyone that can benefit from a network connection will be connected," notes Mark Stevens, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Nortel. "The VERNet initiative is one of the fundamental building blocks of Victoria's research grid and is an essential piece of infrastructure for the Australian research community. CPL technology makes long distance broadband transport more efficient and cuts costs by reducing the number of 'regeneration points' needed to move information at super-fast speeds through the network."
In addition to CPL technology, Nortel's Metro Ethernet Network for VERNet also includes its Optical Metro 5000 platform for data transmission and the Optical Multiservice Edge 1000 for Ethernet support. The network will enable 10-Gbit/sec services from launch and is 40-Gbit/sec ready, says Nortel.
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