Nortel tacks on more to Ethernet

ATLANTA—

In an effort to pull more out of Ethernet dollars, Nortel Networks today released yet another Ethernet service module for the metro market, the OPTera Metro 1400. The company also released information regarding its Metro 1450 product (Telephony, June 3, page 104).

The products use an Ethernet VPN model called the Logical Provider Edge (LPE). That model is an addition to the Draft Martini and is supposed to enable cost-effective service to thousands of customers, according to Chris Thompson, director of carrier and marketing solutions at Nortel. Nortel’s new LPE acronym essentially splits provider edge functions between PE-Core and PE-Edge devices.

The 1400 and 1450 fall into the PE-edge category and connect customers to metro and WAN networks. “We are reducing the complexity of meshed environments,” Thompson said. “That takes the cost down,” he added.

The devices also allow for the dynamic establishments of MPLS paths when a new location is added, to create more flexibility for the service provider, according to Thompson.

While the 1450 will provide 12 100 BASE-TX and two gigabit Ethernet access ports over one single-mode fiber, the OPTera 1400 will have two customer facing Gigabit Ethernet access ports and the 12 100 BASE-TX access ports and uplinks. It is targeted at providing traffic aggregation for enterprises.

KPN Telecom plans to deploy the solutions in Europe.