Carriers Trial Nortel Metro DWDM and Contract for OC-192

In rolling out the metro DWDM platform it gained with the acquisition of Cambrian Systems, Nortel Networks proclaimed that Bell Canada has completed initial testing on the OPTera Metro DWDM and plans to trail the system. Nortel expects Bell to deploy the system in its network within six months following a successful trial.

"Our customers need not only a very fast access to the Internet but an easy and flexible way to connect all type of multimedia devices without service delays or the need for costly adaptations,'' said Bao Le, vice president, Network and Technology, Bell Canada. "We are evaluating Nortel Networks' OPTera Metro system as the potential solution to eliminate the bandwidth bottleneck between our customers' LAN's (Local Area Networks) and high-speed optical networks while substantially reducing the operational and maintenance costs usually associated with providing multi-protocol multimedia services.''

With the OPTera, Bell Canada would be able to use up to 32 ring-protected wavelengths per fiber to connect their customers' traffic regardless of the protocol they are using (for example, SONET, ESCON, FDDI, Fast/Gigabit Ethernet, ATM and video). Data services can be networked in their native format through a single interface in the system with keyboard provisioning, reducing the cost and the set-up time traditionally involved with other network connection methods.

"The acquisition of Cambrian Systems Corporation by Nortel Networks is complementary to the company's existing product lines and is quickly paying dividends for both Nortel Networks and its customers,'' said Mathew Steinberg, director of Optical Networking at RHK (Ryan Hankin Kent), a leading telecommunications consulting firm. "Metropolitan area networks (MAN)—the links between carrier switching centers, Internet service providers, and corporate networks—will require investment from the carriers to better support the influx of data traffic entering the public network.''

Nortel Networks is rolling out OPTera at the Optical Fiber Conference (OFC) in San Diego, Feb. 22-26, 1999, (booth 1801), including OPTera Metro and OPTera LH (Long-Haul) solutions.

Long haul contract

In other Nortel news, Canadian competitive carrier MetroNet Communications Corp., has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nortel to purchase OC-192 (10 Gbps) SONET and DWDM equiment for the core backbone of its national and cross-border fibre-optic network.

The first segment of the network, connecting Vancouver and Seattle, WA, will be deployed over the next few months. MetroNet plans to deploy the equipment between Vancouver and Toronto by the end of the second quarter, and says the remaining segments of the network will be equipped with the electronics as construction is completed over the next year.

OC-192 in China

Claiming the first 10 Gbps optical system deployment in China, Nortel reports that it has signed a multimillion dollar contract with MII/China Telecom to build the 457-km Shanghai-to-Nanjing network based on the OC-192/TN-64X 10 Gbps platform and Integrated Network Management (INM). The contract calls for a 4-fiber ring network that allows 50 milliseconds restoration in case of a fiber cut. The network will initially operate at 40 Gbps.