Finding real convergence

For years now, many network operators have talking about tying legacy and IP networks into a single multiservice network. This week, Broadwing Communications announced it is actually doing something.

The service provider is deploying Tellabs' Multiservice PluS platform, which includes its Tellabs 8800 multiservice routers, to combine its legacy frame relay/ATM services with its Layer 3 IP-VPNs into a converged services layer that is more efficient to operate and manage, said Jamey Heinze, director of product management. The Tellabs gear is currently in beta trials with the expectation of service availability by May.

Broadwing had deployed ATM/frame gear from Alcatel and IP equipment from both Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks, and could have chosen to move to a multi-service network using upgrades from those vendors.

"We liked this approach because it uses equipment purpose-built to be multi-service," said Heinze. "It's the best of Layer 2 and Layer 3 blended together."

The Broadwing Converged Services Network provides full service interworking on an IP Multiprotocol Label Switched (MPLS) platform. It enables customers to connect using a diverse range of data access technologies and be seamlessly interconnected, with specific class of service features.

For Tellabs, the announcement is significant because Broadwing is the first U.S. competitive carrier to deploy its multi-service solution, said Mike O'Malley, group market manager, global marketing, for Tellabs. NTT of Japan, MCI and Packet Exchange have already deployed the Tellabs 8800 and multiservice solution.

"It's certainly significant for us because they are the eighth largest CLEC and it shows the message holds in the CLEC market," he commented. "They wanted Ethernet with quality of service guarantees with SLAs [service level agreements]." Broadwing chose to invest in building a multi-service layer as a point of differentiation in an increasingly crowded market for Ethernet services, said Gina Nomellini, senior product manager, data services, for the carrier.

"We are able to define specific parameters per class of service, and get very granular," she said. "That's very different from the 'soft' class of service you get on IP."

In addition, Heinze said, Broadwing wanted a single system that could deliver native interfaces for a wide variety of services and protocols to support all the different flavors of frame relay and Ethernet on a mix and match basis. The multi-service approach allows Broadwing to offer customers with multiple locations the ability to network them together in seamless fashion using their current access methods, he added.

"We have articulated a convergence vision as a facilities-based provider with a ubiquitous footprint," he said.

The Broadwing offering "is one step above an Ethernet service because it is bandwidth-flexible at Layer 2 and Layer 3, so we've gone one step beyond integrating access technologies," said Romellini.

O'Malley sees other service providers struggling with the decision of whether to upgrade existing systems to include multi-service features or introduce new network gear to achieve convergence.

"This is the discussion--it is the difference between an easy decision and the long-term best," he said. "It may be easiest to take something already in your network but it's not always the best decision."