Life in the fast lane: Frontier links 20 markets with Pirelli WDM system

Frontier Communications is creating a high-speed "network express lane" on its Optronics Network using the TeraMux Hyper-Dense wavelength division multiplexing system from Pirelli Cables & Systems. The new equipment will link Frontier's 20 busiest markets on gigabit fiber routes.

Initially, Frontier is deploying 32 channels on its OC-48 (2.4 Gb/s) network, but the TeraMux will scale to 128 channels over OC-192 (9.6 Gb/s) spans. The Optronics Network will run multiple services directly over the wavelengths, said Russell Shipley, vice president of network planning and development for Frontier. Each service will operate independently over the same fiber and connect directly to the optical network.

"DWDM was created to get more channels on [the fiber]. Now the utility of it comes into play. How are you [constructing] the network to take advantage of it?" he asked. Frontier can have Sonet, Internet protocol, IP switching and asynchronous transfer mode switching directly on its network, Shipley added.

The 20 cities will be on the express ring by spring. "Down the road, we'll expand that as necessary," Shipley said. The express ring also will aggregate traffic and transport it to other regions.

The investment in the Pirelli equipment positions Frontier as one of the first to deploy such high-capacity gear ubiquitously across its network. But other service providers, particularly long-haul carriers, are planning for a bandwidth explosion. In fact, Frontier's Optronics Network will resemble Sprint's ION, in that both networks are designed to support multiple services over a single high-capacity pipe, said Ken Kelly, senior analyst for Dataquest.

"Frontier is positioning their backbone to handle voice, data, imaging, everything, with as much bandwidth as they can get," he said. "Other [carriers] are doing the same thing with DWDM. It's similar to Sprint: You can put anything you want to on this pipe. Here it is, just fill it up."