MCI reveals converged packet strategy

MCI today announced a major restructuring of its network access strategy along with a new portfolio of Ethernet services built on its new converged packet platform.

MCI is taking the first step to phase out traditional TDM access, deploying in major markets a converged packet access platform that will combine MCI’s multiple service offerings onto one pipe. Using Ethernet on the edge and its MPLS network in the core, MCI said it would deliver the first truly converged end-to-end network to its customers.

"All of our services are packet-oriented services, but the access side is confined by numerous limitations," said Jack Wimmer, vice president of network architecture and advanced technology. "We’re limited in capacity to the standard categories of T-1, DS-3 and so on, and we more often than not have to deploy a single service over a single connection. This just isn’t MCI’s problem, it’s the whole industry’s."

MCI’s new strategy will dramatically change the deployment scheme, Wimmer said. MCI will allocate a single pipe for a customer or two per site serving numerous customers and deploy all services over that single pipe, dedicating bandwidth over the Ethernet connection for each individual service. MCI intends to make the service access agnostic, using its own Sonet infrastructure, leased facilities and even microwave connections in some cases, but the traffic traveling over those connections will all end in a simple Ethernet interface. The strategy will make provisioning service easier, through automation it will cut down on the overall complexity of a customer’s network architecture, making provisioning faster and cutting down on maintenance, Wimmer said.

Initially, MCI will offer private line Ethernet and Internet-dedicated Ethernet services in 25 markets, but MCI plans to expand those services and add a host of others as it upgrades its networks around the world. MCI senior manager of Ethernet services Alla Reznik said MCI plans to offer the new Ethernet portfolio at prices comparable to traditional TDM services and in some cases, when the savings from convergence are factored in, the converged platform will be cheaper. Additionally MCI will extend all of its service level agreements tied to TDM services to the new Ethernet portfolio. Essentially MCI wants to encourage as many customers as possible to adopt the new platform by easing the transition process, Reznik said.

MCI is initially targeting the services at vertical markets, specifically health care, the financial community and education, but the carrier expects it will gain popularity among its enterprise customers and even small and medium business.